Photos circulated on social media Sunday showing a soldier smashing a crucifix with a sledgehammer in the Maronite Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon.
A military investigation found that six other soldiers present at the scene failed to stop the act or report it, and have been summoned to give testimony. "The investigation found that the soldiers' conduct was entirely contrary to the orders and values of the Israel Defense Forces", the army said in a statement cited by the Times of Israel.
The incident drew widespread international condemnation and was denounced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military's top brass. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called it shameful and apologized, particularly to Christians.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski wrote on X: "It's good that Minister Sa'ar apologized quickly — there was reason to. The soldier must be punished, but conclusions must also be drawn about how they are trained. IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They have killed not only Palestinian civilians but even their own hostages".
The Israeli military said it had installed a new statue in Debel, posting a photograph of the replacement crucifix and saying the action was carried out in full cooperation with local residents. The army reiterated its "deep regret" and pledged to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Debel lies a few kilometers from the Israeli border, in territory seized by Israeli forces during an offensive against Hezbollah launched in early March. Nearly 2,300 Lebanese have been killed in the conflict, and 1.2 million people fled southern Lebanon before the fighting began.
(jh)
Source: PAP