(Screengrab via X)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday announced that the soldier who destroyed a statue of Jesus in Lebanon has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.
On Sunday, an image of the appeared on social media and quickly went viral. In it, a soldier could be seen smashing the face of the statue with what appeared to be a sledgehammer. Local reports of the incident claimed it occurred in the Maronite Christian village of Debel.
Shortly after the photo surfaced, the IDF confirmed its authenticity, condemned the actions of the soldier, and announced that an investigation had been launched.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, the IDF detailed the outcome of that investigation, saying:
The inquiry found that during IDF activity in the area of the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, an IDF soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another soldier photographed the act. Six additional soldiers were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it.
The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values.The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.
Additionally, the soldier who damaged the statue — as well as the one who took the photo — had been sentenced to “30 days of military detention.”
“The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later on,” the statement continued, “after which further command-level measures will be determined.”
The IDF also announced that the statue had been replaced.
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