The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Sunday that a photo circulating online showed an IDF soldier wielding a hammer over the head of a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, committing to take “appropriate measures” against those involved.
The outrageous image of desecration of Christian iconography surfaced in the context of an ongoing Israeli invasion of Lebanon that President Donald Trump claimed had entered a ceasefire period to allow for peace talks on Thursday. The text of the IDF statement on the matter stated only that “the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon” and did not specify whether the military had confirmed that the photograph was authentic and undoctored.
The assurance that the IDF is preparing to take “appropriate measures” against individuals involved suggests that officials do consider that those involved have behaved inappropriately, either truly engaging in the behavior photographed or producing the image to escalate tensions between Christians in Lebanon and Israel. The IDF statement also described the situation around the photo as an “incident” and stated that its soldiers are working to help restore the statue, again indicating that officials do not believe the photo was doctored or created with artificial intelligence.
The IDF did not specify when the photo was taken, nor were Lebanese media able to verify the date of the photo. The Lebanese newspaper L’Orient Today confirmed that the crucifix belongs to Dibil, a Christian village in southern Lebanon caught in the crossfire of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
The IDF expanded military operations deep into Lebanon shortly after the launch of Operation Epic Fury, an American military engagement to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and the United States with its drone and missile arsenals. The Israeli attacks in Lebanon are not directly related to the campaign in Iran, though Israeli officials have stated that the occupation of southern Lebanon was necessary to destroy expansive terrorist infrastructure in the area built by Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy terrorist organization. Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel have displaced thousands of locals there since October 7, 2023, when its Iranian terror ally Hamas invaded Israel and massacred over 1,000 civilians.
The Israeli attacks on Lebanon have displaced over 1 million people in the country in the past two months, the United Nations has documented.
In its statement on Sunday, the IDF explained of the photo, “following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.”
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasizes that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” the statement continued.
“The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being addressed through the chain of command. Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” it added. “Furthermore, the IDF is working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place.”
The IDF also shared the photo in question, originally shared online by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi.
L’Orient Today noted in its coverage of the story that the image shows that, in addition to the soldier wielding a hammer over Jesus’s head, the statue had already been beheaded. It confirmed the statue’s origin in the village of Dibil with local leader Aql Naddaf.
“We cannot confirm what happened because we can’t access the area where the cross is located due to the presence of the Israeli army. We are currently checking on this,” Naddaf noted. Dibil is within the area Israel is attempting to turn into a “buffer zone” and has forced civilians to evacuate. As for the date of the desecration, L’Orient noted that the IDF had seized the village weeks ago and expelled its residents, so without verification from the IDF, it is impossible to know when during that occupation the desecration had occurred.
Israel and Lebanon are allegedly in a state of ceasefire, according to President Donald Trump, since Thursday. No reports indicate that the Lebanese military have attacked Israel; the war is between Hezbollah and the IDF, who accuse the governor of Lebanon of not taking enough action to disarm Hezbollah. While Hezbollah is the official target of hostilities, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in March that the IDF is planning “an acceleration in the destruction of Lebanese homes in contact-line villages to neutralize threats to Israeli communities.”
Trump claimed on Thursday that he had banned Israel from attacking further during the ceasefire.
“This deal [with Iran] is in no way subject to Lebanon, either, but the USA will, separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezboolah [sic] situation in an appropriate manner,” Trump wrote. “Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!”
Defense Minister Katz insisted after these remarks that Israel would not vacate the areas that it evacuated after forcing civilians to evacuate.
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