The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an investigation after a photograph showing a soldier placing a cigarette into the mouth of a Virgin Mary statue circulated on social media Wednesday, the third conduct incident in weeks involving troops in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon.

📸 Israeli soldier desecrating a Virgin Mary statue by placing a cigarette in its mouth in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/tD1xiVCnQn

— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 6, 2026

IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said an initial review confirmed the photograph was taken in Debel several weeks ago and that “command measures” against the soldier would follow the inquiry. The military stated that it considers the matter “with utmost severity” and noted that the soldier’s actions “completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.”

The IDF views the incident with utmost severity and emphasizes that the conduct of the soldier completely deviates from the values expected of its personnel.

Following an initial review, the image in question was taken several weeks ago. The incident will be investigated, and…

— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) May 6, 2026

Father Fadi Felfeli, head of Debel’s congregation, confirmed the Virgin Mary statue was not damaged but told the BBC the photograph “shows that there are individuals within the [Israeli] army that lack ethics and values and are bigoted.” “They reflect extremism and intolerance that should not exist, especially toward a village that values peace and neutrality,” he added.

The Custodia Terrae Sanctae, the Roman Catholic Church’s representative body in the Holy Land, called the soldier’s behavior “disrespectful and outrageous” and urged the Israeli government and the IDF to “send a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable.”

The incident is the third IDF conduct case in Debel in under a month. In late April, two soldiers received 30 days of military detention after footage showed one striking a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer. A separate probe into military excavators destroying the village’s solar grid, a civilian installation powering local water and electricity, remains open.

Debel is one of several Christian communities in southern Lebanon where residents have remained in place with Israeli permission during ongoing operations against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shia armed group.

The Lebanese health ministry reported more than 120 killed in Lebanon in the past week and at least 2,720 since the conflict began March 2.