A photograph that surfaced online over the weekend and was verified as taken in the village of Debel shows an Israeli soldier using the blunt side of an axe to strike a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross in the garden of a family living on the edge of the village. The image was posted by Younis Tirawi, who identifies himself as a Palestinian reporter and has posted other images of alleged Israeli misconduct in Gaza.
Debel is among a small number of predominantly Christian villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained in place during an Israeli military campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia that began on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran. Local authorities say Debel is now under effective Israeli occupation.
Fadi Falfel, a priest in Debel, said the cross was part of a small shrine in the family garden and described the act as a religious desecration. "One of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols," he said.
Israel's foreign minister criticized the conduct and issued an apology to the Christian community. "The soldier's actions were disgraceful and shameful. We apologize for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt," the minister said on the social platform X.
The Israeli military confirmed it was investigating the matter. "The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) views the incident with great severity and emphasises that the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops," the military said, adding that it is "working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place."
Residents and local leaders in Debel said they continue to face practical hardships even after an agreement earlier in the week on a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah intended to halt the fighting. "We have every kind of crisis," Falfel said. "We thought the ceasefire would bring us some relief but we're still surrounded, unable to travel to and from the town. There are some houses on the edge of town that we're barred from accessing."
Israeli military officials said they are coordinating with aid agencies to address humanitarian needs in Debel and other villages in the area. The full outcome of the investigation into the photographed incident has not been disclosed, and officials did not provide further details on the timeline for restoring the damaged shrine or on any disciplinary steps under consideration.
The photograph and the responses from Israeli civilian and military authorities have underscored sensitivities around conduct by troops operating in communities with religious significance and the broader difficulties residents say they face while the area remains under effective occupation despite the ceasefire agreement.
Context and next steps:
- Investigations announced by the military will determine any accountability regarding the photographed act.
- Military statements indicated assistance to restore the damaged statue, but no timetable was provided.
- Residents report restricted movement and limited access to some homes despite the ceasefire, and officials say humanitarian support is being coordinated with aid agencies.