Israel jails soldiers for vandalising Jesus statue in Lebanon

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Both the soldier who smashed the sculpture with a sledgehammer and the one who photographed the act will receive military detention

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Agence France-PressePublished: 2:01am, 22 Apr 2026Updated: 2:24am, 22 Apr 2026

The Israeli military on Tuesday said two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon.

The decision comes after widespread condemnation of a photo shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross.

The sculpture was located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel.

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Publishing the conclusions of an inquiry into the incident, the military said “the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention”.

It said six additional soldiers who “were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it” had been summoned for “clarification discussions”.

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