Israeli soldier defiles statue of Virgin Mary in Christian village in southern Lebanon
Theo Middle East Eye
The Israel Defense Forces have launched an investigation after a soldier was filmed defiling a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Christian village of Debel, southern Lebanon. The soldier will face disciplinary action.

The Israel Defense Forces have launched an investigation after a video circulated on social media showing an Israeli soldier defiling a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Christian village of Debel, southern Lebanon.
The incident occurred in the village of Debel and was captured in a photograph shared on Wednesday. In the image, the soldier is seen placing a cigarette in the mouth of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
The IDF confirmed that the soldier has been identified and will face disciplinary action. The military stated it takes the incident seriously and emphasized that the soldier’s behavior is completely contrary to the values expected of its personnel.
“The incident will be investigated, and disciplinary measures will be taken against the soldier based on the findings,” the IDF announced.