The punishment comes after repercussions of a photo that showed an Israeli soldier using the blunt side of an ax on a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross on Monday (20)
The Israeli military has removed two soldiers from combat duty and placed them on military detention for 30 days after they destroyed a crucifix in southern Lebanon, they reported on Tuesday (21).
A photo showing a Israeli soldier using the blunt side of an ax on a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross drew widespread condemnation on Monday (20) from Israeli politicians, the United States and religious leaders.
It was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who also posted images of apparent misconduct by Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
A military statement said an investigation into the incident showed that a soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol, while another photographed the act. Six other soldiers were present without acting or interfering, according to the statement.
The Israeli military said it was working with the local community to replace the statue.
Israel’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, condemned the desecration of the statue as unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, according to the statement.
This type of punishment is relatively rare in the Israeli military, according to human rights groups.
In 2025, the conflict monitoring group Action on Armed Violence said it found that Israel had closed or left unresolved 88% of cases of alleged misconduct in Gaza and the West Bank.
In a recent case, charges have been dropped against soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Gaza detainee.
Reuters verified that the image was taken in Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained during an Israeli military campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. The offensive began on March 2 after the group fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran.
Debel is one of dozens of villages in southern Lebanon that are now under effective Israeli occupation.
Israel and Lebanon agreed, last Thursday (16), on a US-brokered ceasefire aimed at stopping fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
An Israeli official previously told Reuters that the Christian villages in southern Lebanon had not been ordered to withdraw, unlike Shia Muslim villages.
Lebanese parliamentarians have expressed concern that Israeli actions could exacerbate sectarian tensions. The Israeli army has been carrying out demolitions in villages in the south, saying it is acting against infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah.
