A photograph that has emerged publicly appears to show an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.
In the image, which was shared on social media, the soldier appears to place a cigarette in the mouth of the Virgin Mary statue in the Christian town of Debel.
Debel is the same town where Israeli soldiers smashed a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer last month.
The Israel Defence Forces said they are treating the incident with the utmost seriousness, stressing that the soldier’s behaviour is entirely contrary to the values expected of their personnel.
The incident will be investigated and disciplinary measures will be taken against the soldier.
The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasizes that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) May 6, 2026
Following an initial review, the image in question was taken several weeks ago. The incident will be investigated, and… https://t.co/fi2gQXzdYj
Source: ERT.
