Israeli soldiers jailed after smashing Jesus statue with sledgehammer
Two Israeli soldiers who smashed a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon have been jailed and removed from combat duty.
The Israeli military sentenced the soldiers to 30 days in prison after the photo, taken in the Christian village of Debel, went viral and sparked international outcry.
After an investigation by the Israeli Defence Forces, it was found that six other soldiers who witnessed the scene didn’t stop or report it.
Those other soldiers have been asked to come forward for ‘clarification discussions that will be held later on, after which further command-level measures will be determined’.
The IDF said in a statement: ‘The inquiry determined that the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values.
‘The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasises that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians.’
The IDF claims to have replaced the statue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the photo was real, writing on X: ‘I condemn the act in the strongest terms. We express regret for the incident, and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.’
Apologies from Israeli officials fell on deaf ears, however, with many pointing out that in the past, the IDF has fired on other religious sites.
In 2024, an airstrike killed eight people who were sheltering inside the St George Melkite Catholic Church in Derdghaya, Lebanon.
The strike was rebuked by Pope Francis, who called for a ceasefire in Lebanon. The IDF said the strike was targeting militants who were operating nearby.
Last summer, Gaza’s only Catholic church – a refuge for many Christians during Israel’s war on Palestinians – was bombed. Two people were killed and several, including the parish priest, were injured.
Historic diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to resume on Thursday in Washington, an Israeli, a Lebanese, and a US official said.
The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met last week for the first direct diplomatic talks in decades.
Israel says the talks are aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace agreement with Lebanon.
A 10-day ceasefire began on Friday in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants broke out two days after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran to start the war.
Fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 2,290 people and displaced well over a million.
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