Photo shows Israeli soldier desecrating a Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon

AI Summary

An Israeli soldier has sparked outrage after a photo emerged showing him desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in South Lebanon. This incident has raised significant concerns over military conduct and respect for religious symbols in the region.

The Israeli military says it has launched an investigation after a photo showing one of its soldiers desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in South Lebanon went viral, as he placed a cigarette into the statue's mouth whilst smoking. The IDF said it "respects freedom of religion" and that the soldier will be disciplined. The incident took place Debel, in the same village where last month, an Israeli soldier was filmed smashing a Jesus statue with a sledgehammer.