The Israeli army has confirmed that an image circulating on social media showing a soldier in southern Lebanon striking a statue of Jesus Christ is genuine and involves one of its personnel.
The image appears to show a soldier using a sledgehammer to hit the head of a crucified Jesus statue that had fallen from a cross, reports RTE.
The Israeli military said it viewed the incident with “great severity”, adding that the actions of the soldier were “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops”, in a statement posted on its official X account on Monday.
It added that the incident is under investigation by its Northern Command and is being “addressed through the chain of command”, with “appropriate measures” to follow depending on the findings, reports RTE.
Reports suggest the statue was located in the Christian village of Debl, close to the Israeli border.
Local authorities in Debl told AFP that the statue was in the village but said they could not confirm whether it had been damaged, reports RTE.
The Israeli army also said it is working with the local community to “restore the statue to its place”.
Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar described the incident as “disgraceful” and emphasised that Israel respects all religions and their sacred symbols, reports RTE.
“The damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon is grave and disgraceful,” he wrote on X.
“I commend the IDF for its statement, for condemning the incident, and for conducting an investigation into the matter.
“I’m confident that the necessary strict measures will be taken against whoever carried out this ugly act.
“This shameful action is completely contrary to our values. Israel is a country that respects the different religions and their sacred symbols, and upholds tolerance and respect among faiths.
“We apologise for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt,” reports RTE.
The Israeli military also warned residents in southern Lebanon not to move south of a designated line of villages or approach areas near the Litani River, stating that troops remain deployed during a ceasefire due to what it described as ongoing Hezbollah activity.
In a statement, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged civilians not to return to several border villages until further notice, citing security concerns, reports RTE.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said planned talks with Israel are intended to end “hostilities” and Israeli presence in the south, as he appointed former ambassador Simon Karam to lead negotiations.
“The choice to negotiate aims to stop hostilities, end the Israeli occupation of southern regions and deploy the (Lebanese) army all the way to the internationally recognised southern borders” with Israel, Mr Aoun said in a statement, reports RTE.
He said the talks would be “separate from any other negotiations”, referring to ongoing US-Iran discussions related to the wider regional conflict.
A spokesperson for UNIFIL said preliminary findings indicate Hezbollah was responsible for the death of a peacekeeper in southern Lebanon last Saturday, reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dany Gafary said a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosive devices came under attack.
One French peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured, two seriously, reports RTE.
Mr Gafary said UNIFIL has called on the Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident.
“UNIFIL calls on the Government of Lebanon to initiate an investigation to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable for this incident that that could be described as a crime of war,” he said, reports RTE.
He added that while no projectiles had been observed being fired from Lebanon into Israel since Friday, there had been Israeli military violations.
Peacekeepers have also witnessed Israeli troop movements across the Blue Line, he said, reports RTE.
He noted that all UNIFIL personnel, including Irish peacekeepers stationed near the Blue Line, are operating under significant security challenges.
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