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Israeli Soldier Filmed Destroying a Statue of Jesus in Southern Lebanon

HeadlineApr 20, 2026

In southern Lebanon, a French peacekeeper was killed and three others wounded after a U.N. patrol came under fire on Saturday. French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the attack on Hezbollah, while the group denied responsibility. Israel has been known to target humanitarian aid convoys.

The incident comes just days after Israel and Lebanon announced a 10-day ceasefire brokered by the United States. On Sunday, the Israeli military published for the first time a map of its new deployment line inside southern Lebanon, which runs five to 10 kilometers deep into Lebanese territory, putting dozens of villages under Israeli occupation. Israel is calling it a “buffer zone.” Meanwhile, an image went viral on social media showing an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus on a cross in occupied southern Lebanon, drawing widespread condemnation. Israel’s army says it’s investigating the soldier. It comes as tens of thousands of displaced Lebanese rushed back to their villages in south Lebanon to destroyed homes and scenes of devastation. This is Jamila Bassam, who was displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Jamila Bassam: “We will rebuild with our own hands. We’re not afraid. Even if it takes us 10 years to repair, it doesn’t matter to me. My house in the village is also gone, but we will repair it, too, and it will come back even better than it was. What matters is that we live with pride and dignity, not to be ruled by anyone.”

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