Punishment for Israeli Soldiers Who Damaged Jesus Statue: Detained for 30 Days

The Israeli military has imposed punishment on two of its soldiers after they were caught damaging a statue of the crucified Jesus in southern Lebanon. The two Israeli soldiers were withdrawn from combat duties and placed in military detention for 30 days.

The punishment was handed down after a photo that surfaced online showed an Israeli soldier using the blunt side of a giant axe to smash the Jesus statue that had fallen to the ground.

The incident drew widespread condemnation from Israeli politicians, the United States (US), and church leaders.

The photo that caused the uproar was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who has also uploaded images of alleged violations committed by Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip.

As reported by Reuters on Wednesday (22/4/2026), the Israeli military stated that its investigation into the incident showed that one soldier damaged the Christian religious symbol, while another soldier photographed the act of destruction.

Six other Israeli soldiers were present at the scene of the incident but did not take any action or intervene.

The Israeli military affirmed that it is cooperating with the local community to replace the damaged Jesus statue.

The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Eyal Zamir, condemned the desecration of the Jesus statue as an unacceptable act and a moral failure.

The type of punishment imposed by the Israeli military on its soldiers is relatively rare. According to the conflict monitoring group Action on Armed Violence, Israel has closed or left unresolved 88 percent of cases of alleged violations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank throughout 2025.