An Israeli soldier, photographed desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. (Credit: Photo circulating on social media)
After an image surfaced online showing an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary, with the widely circulated photo depicting the soldier placing a lit cigarette at the statue’s mouth, a resident of Dibil (Bint Jbeil district), where the image was reportedly taken, told L’Orient Today on Friday: “We have started to get used to these scenes, as the Israelis show no regard or respect for people or for religious sanctities, not even for stones or trees.”
The photo was taken on the outskirts of the village of Dibil, where access is reportedly restricted and residents are prevented from reaching the area due to the Israeli occupation of the region, our correspondent in the South reported.
He added: “Unfortunately, we can do nothing, and our state is absent. What we are witnessing is very sad, as it reflects the level of violations we are facing against everything.”
"The Israeli army takes this incident very seriously and stresses that the soldier’s behavior is completely contrary to the values expected of its personnel," said Israeli Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, international spokesperson for the Israeli army, on X on Wednesday.
He added that "After an initial review, it appears that the photo in question was taken several weeks ago. An investigation will be conducted and disciplinary measures will be taken against the soldier, depending on the findings of this investigation. The Israeli army respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as the holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities. The Israeli army conducts operations to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure established by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and has no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings and religious symbols."
This is not the first time Israeli soldiers have targeted religious symbols in south Lebanon. In April, the Israeli army acknowledged that one of its soldiers had vandalized a statue of Jesus on the cross in Dibil, after images widely shared on social media showed a soldier striking the statue’s head with a sledgehammer, detaching it from the cross.
Reporting contributed by our correspondent in the South, Muntasser Abdallah
