A wide spread social media post of a video which allegedly depicts an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier putting a cigarette in the mouth of a Christian statue of the Virgin Mary in the village of Debel in southern Lebanon has caused outrage. The image received heavy online criticism from Internet users who especially belonged to the Christian community because they called the soldier ‘disrespectful’ of a religious symbol. The Israeli military has confirmed the existence of the incident which they are currently investigating but they have not disclosed any information about the soldier involved or the upcoming disciplinary actions.
Did IDF Really Defaced Virgin Mary Statue By Placing Cigarette In Its Mouth In Southern Lebanon?
The fight follows another scuffle in the same village that sparked much criticism a few weeks ago. A soldier who was in Debel at the time was photographed demolishing a statue of Jesus with a hammer in April 2025 which angered residents and religious groups. The Israeli military conducted an internal investigation which confirmed that two soldiers received discharge from combat duties after one of them damaged a statue and the other soldier took a picture of it.
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The local Christian community condemned the incident because they viewed the destruction as an attack against Christians and their sacred religious symbols. After destroying the Jesus statue, the Israeli military attempted to replace it with a new decorative statue.
🇱🇧🇮🇱 An IDF soldier was caught desecrating a Virgin Mary statue in the Christian village of Debel in Lebanon, placing a cigarette in her mouth.
This, weeks after another of Netanyahu’s foot soldiers smashed a statue of the Messiah in the same village.
“The most moral army in… pic.twitter.com/34YmO2kHwv
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 6, 2026
But the residents of Debel were not in favor of the plan, and they opted to replace another replica that was a close copy of the original statue. Many in the local area regarded the decision as a way to maintain the village’s identity and stop outside interference. The Israeli military had previously called the April incident ‘very grave’ and emphasized that what the soldier did in the photo was not in line with the values for which the Israel Defense Forces fights in the region.
Israel-Lebanon
The row over the Virgin Mary statue has restarted a debate over the actions of soldiers in southern Lebanon, and flared anew. Adding to the controversy, another video emerged soon after the previous controversy over the statue, purporting to show Israeli soldiers ripping down the solar panels in Debel. The continuous conflicts have raised the issue of military activities in the area, particularly in villages where there are substantial Christian communities. The images and videos are still being shared by social media users, and the measures that are being allotted for accountability and respect for religious sites have increased in volume online.
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