Israeli soldier investigated for desecration of religious statue in Lebanon

On May 7, 2026, reports emerged of an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Christian town of Debel, southern Lebanon. A photograph circulated on social media shows the soldier placing a cigarette into the statue's mouth. This incident follows a reported event from the previous month in the same town, where Israeli soldiers allegedly destroyed a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on May 6, 2026, that the image depicts an incident occurring several weeks ago. The IDF declared that it views the soldier's conduct as a serious deviation from its expected values. An investigation has been launched, and the military command intends to take disciplinary measures against the individual involved.