JERUSALEM (The Thursday Times) — The Israeli military said late Saturday that it was investigating an incident in southern Lebanon after a widely circulated photograph appeared to show an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus Christ during military operations, prompting criticism online and renewed scrutiny over the conduct of troops in contested border areas.
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… https://t.co/U6P3x8KWBb
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 19, 2026
In a statement posted on X, the Israel Defense Forces said an initial examination had determined that the image depicted an Israeli soldier operating in southern Lebanon. The military said it viewed the episode “with great severity” and described the conduct as inconsistent with the values expected of its forces.
“The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being addressed through the chain of command,” the military said. “Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings.”
The statement marked a shift from an earlier response by Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, who said several hours earlier that the army was first assessing the reliability of the photograph. At that stage, he said that if the image proved authentic and recent, the actions shown would not align with military values and would be thoroughly investigated.
The IDF is currently examining the reliability of the photograph.
If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF's values and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers.The incident will be investigated thoroughly and in depth, and if… pic.twitter.com/xMTtEMp4dS
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) April 19, 2026
The image, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, appeared to show a soldier in uniform using a tool to strike the head of a crucifixion statue mounted outdoors in what users identified as a Christian area of southern Lebanon. The post drew outrage from Lebanese commentators, Christian groups and critics of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in the south of the country.
The military said it had “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols,” and added that it was working to assist the local community in restoring the damaged statue.
Southern Lebanon is home to a number of Christian villages, churches and religious landmarks, alongside Shiite Muslim communities that have long been caught in the crosscurrents of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Since the outbreak of wider hostilities in the region, villages near the frontier have faced repeated strikes, evacuations and military incursions.
Israel has said its operations in southern Lebanon are aimed at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure near the border. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, has exchanged fire with Israel for months.
Even isolated incidents involving religious sites can carry outsized political and symbolic weight in a region where sacred spaces often sit at the centre of national and communal identity. Damage to churches, mosques or shrines has repeatedly inflamed tensions in past conflicts.
The Israeli military did not identify the soldier involved, nor did it say whether the individual had been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Lebanese officials had not immediately issued a formal public response late Saturday, though the photograph continued to circulate widely across Arabic-language media and social platforms.
For Israel, which has sought to frame its northern campaign as a targeted effort against Hezbollah rather than against Lebanon’s civilian population, the episode posed an unwelcome reputational setback.
