Israeli Soldier Caught Desecrating Virgin Mary Statue in Lebanon, Military Launches Probe

A photo that’s sparking outrage online shows an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in the Christian-majority village of Debel in southern Lebanon. The soldier placed a cigarette directly into the statue’s mouth while smoking one himself. The image circulated Wednesday, though it was taken weeks earlier.

Israel’s military says it’s taking the incident “gravely” and promised action against the soldier involved. But here’s where it gets worse: this is the second time in recent weeks a soldier has been caught destroying religious statues in the exact same village.

Just last month, another soldier was photographed smashing a Jesus statue in Debel with a sledgehammer while a fellow soldier filmed. After that incident sparked international outcry, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned it and the two soldiers were removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

But the desecrations are just the tip of the iceberg. Lebanese media reports that Israeli troops have bulldozed solar panels that powered Debel’s water system, demolished homes, obliterated roads, and destroyed centuries-old olive groves. All of this is happening as Israeli forces occupy large swaths of southern Lebanon and level entire villages.

The destruction has left Lebanese officials and residents terrified that people displaced by the conflict will have nowhere to return to.

This pattern extends beyond Lebanon. Religious groups have documented a surge in harassment and violence against Christian pilgrims, clergy, and Palestinian Christians in Israel and occupied territories. Last month, security footage captured a man brutally attacking a French nun near Jerusalem’s Old City, throwing her to the ground, kicking her as she lay bleeding, while bystanders watched in horror. Israeli police arrested a 36-year-old suspect only after the video went viral.

Experts note that Israeli authorities typically only discipline troops when incidents risk damaging US and international support for Israel. The selective accountability stands in stark contrast to the broader pattern: no Israeli soldier has faced charges for killing a Palestinian in the past decade, despite the deaths of over 72,000 people in Gaza, predominantly women and children.

The scale of religious site destruction tells its own story. Israeli forces have demolished more than 800 mosques in Gaza, including the Great Omari Mosque with its 1,400-year-old minaret. Multiple churches, including the Saint Porphyrius Church (the oldest in Gaza and third-oldest globally), have also been hit.