IDF Investigates Soldier Over Hammer Attack on Jesus Statue

(SeaPRwire) –   Israeli military says the incident is “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has launched an inquiry into a soldier photographed using a hammer to destroy a statue of Jesus Christ.

The photograph, first published on X by Palestinian reporter Younis Tirawi, circulated widely on the internet, prompting worries about possible harm to places of worship.

According to Tirawi, the event occurred in southern Lebanon. A local community page verified the statue’s location on the outskirts of Dibil, a Christian town in the Bint Jbeil District close to the Israeli border. The official page for the town of Dibil posted a picture of the statue with a biblical passage: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

In a Sunday statement on X, the IDF verified the image was real, stating it regarded the incident “with great severity” and that the soldier’s actions were “wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”

“The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being addressed through the chain of command. Appropriate measures will be taken against those involved in accordance with the findings,” the military stated, also noting that its personnel are helping the community repair the statue.

The IDF added that it holds “no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or symbols.”

The image provoked strong reactions online. Former US Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene reposted it with the comment: “Our greatest ally that takes billions of our tax dollars and weapons every year.” Ex-US lawmaker Matt Gaetz called the picture “horrific.”

Israel has targeted a number of Christian sites during its military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In 2023, an Israeli airstrike hit a building next to the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest Christian shrine in Gaza, resulting in 18 deaths. In 2025, shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell struck Gaza’s Holy Family Church, the enclave’s sole Catholic church, killing three people.