Photo was reportedly taken in the Christian village of Debel, in southern Lebanon, according to the newspaper “The Times of Israel”
The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reported this Wednesday (May 6, 2026) that they are investigating an image circulating on social media in which a soldier puts a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The incident occurred in the Christian village of Debel, in southern Lebanon, according to the newspaper.
The military stated that the soldier has been identified and will be punished. In a note sent to the newspaper, the IDF declared that the conduct “completely deviates from the expected values of your troops“, and that the command takes the case seriously. An initial investigation indicated that the photograph was taken a few weeks ago, although it was shared online this Wednesday.
The image emerged shortly after another negative repercussion involving the destruction of a statue of Jesus in the same location by an Israeli soldier. At the time, 2 soldiers were removed from combat duty and imprisoned for 30 days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the time that he was “shocked and sad” with what happened.
ATTACK ON BEIRUT
According to The Times Israelthe Israeli military also carried out an attack on suburbs south of Beirut this Wednesday. The target would be a Hezbollah stronghold. In a joint statement, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the objective was to eliminate the commander of the Radwan force – Hezbollah’s elite unit, focused on special operations, infiltration and attacks.
“No terrorist benefits from impunity: the long arm of Israel will reach all enemies and murderers”says the official statement.
CONTEXT OF THE CONFLICT
Hezbollah began attacks against Israel on March 2, 2026, shortly after the start of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The confrontation entered into a temporary ceasefire on April 17.
According to the IDF, the truce has significantly eroded, although the level of fighting is lower than that recorded before mid-April. Israel has limited the areas of its air strikes on Lebanese territory.
