UN says destruction of Jesus statue by Israeli soldier in Lebanon ‘shocking’

The UN on Wednesday expressed outrage over the destruction of a statue of Jesus by an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon.

Responding to Anadolu’s question on the incident, the secretary-general’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, told a news conference that the UN is aware of the incident and called it “shocking.”

He welcomed the reports of “disciplinary measures” taken against the Israeli soldiers.

“The desecration of religious symbols, the desecration of houses of worship, is unacceptable, regardless of the religion,” Dujarric said.

Video footage circulating on Sunday showed an Israeli soldier smashing the statue with a pickaxe in the town of Debel in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army acknowledged the incident in a statement on Monday.

The incident was not the first involving damage to Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.

In September 2024, Israeli airstrikes destroyed the Mar Georges Church in the town of Derdghaiya in the Tyre district.

In April 2025, the Israeli army destroyed a statue of Saint George in the town of Yaroun in Nabatieh governorate, with videos showing a military bulldozer carrying out the demolition.

Israel also closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Al-Aqsa Mosque for 40 days since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, citing security concerns, before reopening them on April 8 following a two-week ceasefire announcement.