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The Israeli military said an image of one of the country's soldiers smashing a Jesus statue in southern Lebanon – an incident that has sparked outrage – is authentic.
The image, which was circulated widely on social media, shows the soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of Jesus after the statue had fallen from a cross. Media reports said the statue was in the Christian village of Debl, near the Israeli border.
“Following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an [Israeli] soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts a soldier operating in southern Lebanon,” the military said in a statement on Sunday night.
It added that it “views the incident with great severity” and the soldier’s conduct is "wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops".
The case is under investigation by the Northern Command and appropriate measures will be taken based on the findings, the military said. It is working with the local community to “restore the statue to its place," the statement said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the “grave and disgraceful” act and apologised to “every Christian whose feelings were hurt".
“This shameful action is completely contrary to our values,” he said in a statement. "Israel is a country that respects different religions and their sacred symbols and upholds tolerance and respect among faiths."
Israeli forces have repeatedly attacked religious sites, including mosques and churches, as well as religious figures, in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Israel has also routinely barred worshippers from entering holy sites, most recently closing Al Aqsa Mosque and preventing Easter celebrations from taking place in Jerusalem.
The Israeli military launched an offensive in Lebanon on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah resumed attacks on Israel in support of Tehran. It reignited the conflict between the sides only 15 months after their last major war.
A two-week ceasefire in the Iran war is set to expire early on Wednesday. Israel and Lebanon announced a separate 10-day ceasefire last week, which paved the way for Iran's announcement that it would reopen the strait.
The fighting has killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 1.2 million, Lebanese authorities said. Attacks by Hezbollah have killed two Israeli civilians, while 13 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since March 2, Israeli figures show.
On Monday, Israel's military told residents of southern Lebanon not to move south of a specified line of villages or approach areas near the Litani River. Its forces remain in the area despite the ceasefire, owing to what the military described as continued Hezbollah activity.
In a statement, military spokesman Lt Col Avichay Adraee also ordered civilians to stay away from several border villages until further notice over security risks.
The Israeli military has sent troops to southern Lebanon, where it says it aims to establish a buffer zone extending to the Litani River, which flows into the Mediterranean, about 30km north of the border with Israel.
