An image showing an Israeli soldier using a jackhammer to smash a statue of Jesus on a cross in southern Lebanon has gone viral, triggering widespread condemnation and backlash.
Members of the Christian community say the statue is in the village of Debel, a Maronite Christian town about six kilometres northwest of Ain Ebel and roughly five kilometres from the Israeli border community of Shtula.
The image sparked immediate outrage online, including among some former allies of US President Donald Trump.
Under Israeli rule, Christians in Israel and the occupied West Bank have faced a growing wave of attacks, from daily harassment to the destruction of religious sites.
Clergy have reported being spat on and physically assaulted, while churches, cemeteries and other Christian symbols have been vandalised.
These attacks, often linked to ultra-Orthodox Jews, religious nationalists and settlers, have frequently gone unchecked, with Israeli police accused of failing to intervene.
Responding to the latest incident, Israeli officials did not deny the authenticity of the image and claimed the soldier’s conduct is entirely inconsistent with the standards expected of its troops.
An image showing an Israeli soldier using a jackhammer to smash a statue of Jesus on a cross in southern Lebanon has gone viral, triggering widespread condemnation and backlash.
Members of the Christian community say the statue is in the village of Debel, a Maronite Christian… pic.twitter.com/R9vsXoYNPY
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 20, 2026