Israeli soldier attacks Jesus statue in Lebanon

On 20 April 2026, the Israeli military confirmed that a photo showing an Israeli soldier striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon was genuine, and said it would open a criminal investigation. Netanyahu said he, like most Israelis, was 'stunned and saddened', and other top Israeli officials also condemned the act. Israel apologized, according to Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

The image drew outrage. A Catholic leaders' body and a Jerusalem Latin cleric condemned the destruction of the statue, and the Times of Israel called it a moral wake-up call for the IDF and Israel. Haaretz wrote separately that, 20 years later, Israel is back in the quagmire in southern Lebanon.