Two Israeli soldiers jailed over smashing of Jesus statue in Lebanon village

Two Israeli soldiers have been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail after one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, while the other filmed him, the Israel Defense Forces have said.

An image circulating on social media on Monday showed an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen from its cross in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, prompting outrage across Christian communities worldwide.

After determining the authenticity of the photo, the Israel Defense Forces launched an investigation. Its findings concluded “the soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values”, the military said.

As a result, the military said it had removed from combat duty both the soldier who damaged the statue and the one who filmed the act, sentencing them to 30 days in military prison.

This type of punishment is relatively rare in the Israeli military, according to rights groups.

In 2025, the conflict-monitoring group Action on Armed Violence said it had found that Israel had closed down or left unresolved 88% of cases of alleged misconduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

In a recent case, charges were dropped against soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Gaza detainee.

The investigation found that six other troops were “present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it”.

“The remaining troops who stood by have been summoned for clarification discussions that will be held later, after which further command-level measures will be determined,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

The military added that “procedures regarding conduct with religious institutions and symbols were reinforced to troops prior to their entry into the relevant areas, and will be reinforced again for all forces in the area following the incident.”

The Israeli military posted a photo on social media of the replacement crucifix, which appeared smaller but more ornate than the original statue smashed by the soldier, and said the sculpture was replaced by troops a short while ago, “in full coordination with the local community”.

Residents said the statue had stood on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, one of the few villages where civilians have remained despite Israel’s ongoing war with Hezbollah.