Israel Criticizes Soldier for Crucifix Desecration in South Lebanon

A photo emerged online over the weekend showing an Israeli soldier smashing a crucifix in a southern Lebanese village, home to Christians. The image was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who has also shared images of alleged misconduct by Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

Reuters verified the location as Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained during Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah following rocket attacks from March 2. Fadi Falfel, a priest in Debel, said an IDF soldier broke the cross, desecrating holy symbols.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the act, stating it went against Jewish values of tolerance and expressing his sorrow on X. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the incident disgraceful and apologized to Christians affected by it.

The Israeli military said the incident was under investigation and emphasized that such conduct is inconsistent with expected troop values. The IDF is assisting in restoring the statue to its place, as Debel remains under effective Israeli occupation following a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Thursday.