Israeli soldiers caught smashing Jesus statue sentenced to 30 days in prison

The Israeli soldiers who smashed a figure of Jesus Christ and photographed it in southern Lebanon were removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days of military detention, officials said.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was taking appropriate action against the two soldiers following international backlash over the photo of the troops smashing a statue of Jesus on a crucifix with a sledgehammer at a small shrine in Debel.

“The IDF expresses deep regret over the incident and emphasizes that its operations in Lebanon are directed solely against the Hezbollah terrorist organization and other terrorist groups, and not against Lebanese civilians,” the Israeli military said in a statement.