Israel jails two soldiers who damaged and photographed a Jesus statue in Lebanon

By Dana Karni, Zeena Saifi, Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — The Israeli soldiers who damaged a figure of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon and photographed the incident will be removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention, according to the Israeli military.

Six additional soldiers who witnessed the incident but did nothing to stop it or report it will be summoned for what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called “clarification discussions that will be held later on.” The IDF said other command-level measures could be taken.

On Sunday, a photo emerged on social media of an Israeli soldier wielding what appears to be a hammer or axe against the figure of a crucified Jesus Christ in the predominantly Christian town of Debel. The photo seemingly showed the soldier hitting the head of the figure after it had been removed from the cross.

Maroun Nassif, the deputy head of the municipality, told CNN after the incident that it was “an attack on our sacred beliefs.”

The IDF opened an investigation into the photo, calling the soldiers’ actions “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened” by the attack on the religious figure. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” he said in a statement on Monday.

On Tuesday, the IDF said they had worked “in full coordination” with the community of Debel to replace the figure of Jesus Christ. The new figure, appeared to be made of metal on a new cross. “The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident, and is working to ensure that it does not happen again in the future,” the IDF said.

Wadih El Khazen, a former tourism minister in Lebanon and Maronite Christian leader, called for “international action to ensure accountability for all those who commit these crimes.” According to Lebanon’s state-run NNA news, El Khazen said on Monday, “The historical truth about the war in Lebanon is unforgiving, and it places a great responsibility on us to protect civilians, reject all forms of discrimination and violence, and work toward a lasting and just peace.”

Debel is one of 55 Lebanese towns and villages inside a swath of southern Lebanon currently occupied by Israeli forces. It is approximately four miles west of Bint Jbeil, a town which the IDF has surrounded as it tries to root out what it says is a Hezbollah stronghold there.

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