IDF soldier vandalises Christian shrine in south Lebanon, Netanyahu says ‘stunned’

The cross was part of a small shrine in the garden of ​a family living ​on the edge of the village, said Fadi Falfel, ⁠a priest in Debel.
“One of the Israeli soldiers broke the cross and did this horrible thing, this desecration of our holy symbols,” he said.

Netanyahu’s statement

Netanyahu said he was “stunned and saddened” to learn that an IDF soldier had damaged a Catholic religious icon. “I condemn the act in the strongest terms,” he posted.

As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths. All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region.

Yesterday, like the…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2026

He said that authorities would take disciplinary action after completing an investigation into the incident. He claimed that, unlike in West Asia, Israel is a Jewish country where people of all religions can flourish.

Israeli Foreign Minister condemns act

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also condemned the incident, saying the act was grave and disgraceful.”

In a post on X Saar said the damaging of Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon was “completely contrary to the values.”

The damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon is grave and disgraceful.

I commend the IDF for its statement,
for condemning the incident, and for conducting an investigation into the matter. I’m confident that the necessary strict measures…

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 20, 2026

US calls for ‘swift, severe’ action

US Ambassador to Israel ‌Mike Huckabee said on X that “Swift, severe, & public consequences are needed.”

The Assembly of ‌Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, which includes Jerusalem’s Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said in a statement that the act “constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith.”

“It further reveals a disturbing failure in moral and human formation, wherein even the most elementary reverence for the sacred and for the dignity of others has been gravely compromised,” the statement said.

With inputs from Reuters