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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Brittney Donovan

IDF soldier jailed for smashing Jesus statue with an axe in Lebanon

An Israeli soldier damages the head of a statue of Jesus, in Debel, Lebanon, in this still image obtained from social media released on April 19, 2026. - (Social media)

The Israeli military has sentenced two soldiers to 30 days in jail after one of them destroyed a statue of Jesus in Lebanon by smashing it with an axe.

“The inquiry found that during IDF activity in the area of the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon, an IDF soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another soldier photographed the act. Six additional soldiers were present at the scene and did not act to stop the incident or report it,” the IDF wrote in an update on Tuesday.

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