Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned “in the strongest terms” the damaging of a “Catholic religious icon” by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon, after an image circulated online appearing to show a serviceman striking a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer.
In a statement posted to X, Netanyahu said he and “the overwhelming majority of Israelis” were “stunned and saddened” to hear of the incident. He said military authorities were conducting a criminal investigation and would take “appropriately harsh disciplinary action” against the offender.
“Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused,” Netanyahu said.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, had earlier called for “swift, severe, and public consequences” over the episode.
The incident has drawn wider attention amid the continuing Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, which Netanyahu brokered this month, and adds a fresh religious-sensitivity dimension to the presence of Israeli forces in southern Lebanese towns. Lebanon, home to one of the largest Christian populations in the Middle East, has repeatedly raised concerns about damage to civilian sites during the war.
No information has been released on the soldier’s identity, unit, or the exact location of the statue. Ada Derana carried the report citing BBC.
