Israeli army pledges investigation after soldier filmed smashing Jesus statue in Southern Lebanon, Lebanon

The Israeli military has said it will investigate a soldier filmed smashing a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon. After an image of the incident circulated this week, the army confirmed it was authentic, said it viewed the incident “with great severity,” and promised action through the chain of command. Israel’s foreign minister described the act as “grave and disgraceful” desecration of a Christian symbol and pledged an investigation and strict action.

The report notes that the incident did not occur in isolation. Over the past two years, Christian clergy, worshippers and holy sites have repeatedly been affected by direct strikes, access restrictions, settler attacks and public acts of desecration. The latest incident drew wide anger in part because it came amid other reported damage to Christian sites in southern Lebanon.

Last month, Israeli forces barred Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday. The restriction drew international criticism and was later reversed. Times of Israel reported that police and the Catholic Patriarchate reached an agreement only after international backlash. Church leaders, diplomats and rights groups condemned the restriction as a violation of religious freedom and of long-standing status quo arrangements in occupied East Jerusalem.

In July 2025, an Israeli strike hit the Holy Family Church compound, Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing and wounding civilians who had taken shelter inside. The military said the strike was unintended. Religious sites are traditionally regarded as places of refuge during conflict, and local Christians said the attack deepened their fears that even places of worship are not spared.

In the occupied West Bank, the Christian village of Taybeh has faced repeated attacks by illegal Israeli settlers targeting nearby religious and historical sites. Reports of arson near a church and cemetery alarmed clergy and residents, who warned of escalating threats to their community and heritage. Church leaders have repeatedly called for stronger protection, saying such incidents occur in an environment where accountability remains limited. Protecting the village’s churches and burial grounds is a matter of defending the vulnerable (Psalm 82:3).

The report also describes a strike on the compound of the historic Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza, where civilians, including Christians, had sought refuge. The attack caused casualties and damage at one of the oldest churches in the region. Israel said it was aiming at nearby targets.

Source: Read the original report