Israel’s military has removed two soldiers from combat duty and sentenced them to 30 days in detention after they were filmed destroying a crucifix in southern Lebanon, in an incident that has drawn international condemnation.
The image, widely circulated online, showed a soldier striking a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with the blunt side of an axe. It was first shared by Palestinian reporter Younis Tirawi, known for documenting alleged misconduct by Israeli forces.
In a statement on Tuesday, the military said an internal investigation confirmed that one soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol while another documented the act. Six additional soldiers were present but failed to intervene.
The army said it was coordinating with the local community to replace the destroyed statue.
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemned the incident, calling it “unacceptable conduct” and a “moral failure,” according to the statement.
Rights groups say such disciplinary action is uncommon. Monitoring organization Action on Armed Violence reported in 2025 that 88% of alleged misconduct cases involving Israeli forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were either closed or left unresolved.
In a separate recent case, charges were dropped against soldiers accused of sexually abusing a detainee in Gaza.
Reuters verified the image as having been taken in Debel, a predominantly Christian village in southern Lebanon that remained populated during Israel’s recent offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
The military campaign began on March 2 following rocket fire from Hezbollah in support of Iran. Debel is among several villages now effectively under Israeli control, despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached last week between Israel and Lebanon.
Israeli officials have previously said Christian villages were not issued evacuation orders, in contrast to many Shiite-majority areas.
Lebanese lawmakers have warned that such incidents risk inflaming sectarian tensions, particularly as Israeli forces continue demolitions in southern villages, which they say target Hezbollah infrastructure.
