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The Israeli military announced Monday it had sentenced two soldiers to military prison following an incident in which one was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon, the latest in a string of conduct violations involving Christian religious symbols in the region.
The soldier photographed carrying out the act received a 21-day prison sentence, while the soldier who filmed the incident was handed a 14-day sentence, the military said. The incident occurred several weeks ago and was investigated by commanders on the ground before the punishments were handed down.
Military spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Ariella Mazor said the Israeli military viewed the incident "with utmost severity," adding that the soldier's conduct "completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel."
Monday's announcement follows a similar case from late April, in which two soldiers were sentenced to 30 days of military detention and removed from combat duty after a photo circulated online showing one of them striking the head of a crucified Jesus statue with a sledgehammer in the southern Lebanese village of Debl. That image also spread widely on social media before the military launched an investigation.
The incidents have drawn renewed attention to the behavior of Israeli troops deployed in southern Lebanon, where the military has maintained a presence as part of its ongoing operations. Southern Lebanon has a significant Christian population, and the region's religious sites, including churches and shrines, hold deep significance for local communities.
In response to the growing controversy, Mazor issued a broader statement affirming that the Israeli military "respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities." The military, she added, has "no intention of harming civilian infrastructure, including religious buildings or religious symbols."
International humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, explicitly prohibits the destruction of or deliberate damage to religious and cultural property during armed conflict. Critics and human rights observers have pointed to such incidents as evidence of inadequate discipline within military ranks, while the Israeli military has consistently framed each case as an isolated deviation, responding with investigations and punitive measures.
In both incidents, the photographs were shared widely on the platform X before official responses were issued, putting the military on the defensive and forcing accelerated public statements.
The Virgin Mary holds particular reverence in both Catholic and Eastern Christian traditions, which are well represented in Lebanon, a country with one of the largest Christian populations in the Arab world.
Lebanon's Christian communities, including Maronites, Greek Orthodox, and others, make up a substantial share of the country's population and have historically maintained a distinct political and cultural identity in the region.
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