Israeli Soldier Punished for Damaging Christian Symbol in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has announced disciplinary measures following an internal inquiry into an incident involving one of its soldiers who damaged a Christian religious symbol during operations in southern Lebanon.

According to findings published in a statement by the Israel Defense Forces on its official X handle, the incident occurred during military activity in the Christian village of Debel, where a soldier was found to have damaged a religious statue, while another soldier recorded the act on camera.

The inquiry further revealed that six additional soldiers were present at the scene but failed to intervene or report the conduct.

The military said the actions of the personnel “completely deviated from IDF orders and values.”

“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians,” the statement said.

Following the report, the army said it moved to engage with local authorities to support the replacement of the damaged statue.

Disciplinary action was taken against those directly involved.

“Accordingly, it was decided that the soldier who damaged the Christian symbol and the soldier who photographed the act will be removed from combat duty and will receive 30 days of military detention,” the IDF stated.

It added that the other troops who were present but failed to act have been summoned for further clarification sessions, after which additional command-level decisions will be made.

The IDF also noted that procedures guiding soldiers’ conduct around religious institutions and symbols had been reinforced prior to deployment in the area and would be reiterated following the incident.

The findings of the inquiry were presented to the Chief of the General Staff and the Commander of the Northern Command.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, the IDF disclosed that its troops had replaced the damaged statue “in full co-ordination with the local community” a short while ago.

“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future,” the tweet added.

Reacting to the report, the Chief of the General Staff condemned the incident, describing it as unacceptable and a serious moral failure that contradicts the values and expected conduct of the military.

Locals who spoke with BBC had said the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home on the edge of Debel, one of the few villages where residents have remained during Israel’s war with Hezbollah.