The Israeli military said on Monday it had sentenced two soldiers to imprisonment after one of them was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. An image widely shared online last week showed an Israeli soldier with his arm around the statue of Mary, believed to be the mother of Jesus in Abrahim faiths, while holding a cigarette up to her mouth.
The image sparked uproar globally, with many stating it serves as an example of the Israeli army's disregard for religious communities and civilians. According to the military, the incident took place several weeks ago in southern Lebanon and was investigated by commanders on the ground.
"At the conclusion of the investigation, the soldier documented carrying out the act was sentenced to 21 days of military prison, and the soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days of military prison," the military said on Monday.
In a separate post on X, military spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Ariella Mazor said: "The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasises that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel."
It is not the first time the Israeli military has come under criticism in recent weeks over its soldiers' conduct surrounding Christian statues in southern Lebanon.
In late April, the military said two soldiers would receive 30 days of military detention and be removed from combat duty over the destruction of a statue of Jesus Christ in the southern Lebanese village of Debl.
In that incident, a photo was shared online showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus.
"The IDF respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities," Mazor said.
The military has "no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols," she added.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, the military has also destroyed dozens of mosques, and targeted churches in the enclave, triggering condemnation from religious figures and activists around the world. Earlier this month, the Israeli army also said its forces damaged a "religious building" in south Lebanon , drawing condemnation from a Catholic charity, which identified it as a convent and denounced the "deliberate" targeting of a place of worship.
The military said troops operating in the village of Yaroun had damaged a structure inside a religious compound while dismantling what it claimed was "terrorist infrastructure" in the area.