Israeli soldier pictured desecrating Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon

The Israeli military has launched an inquiry after a viral video showed one of its soldiers in southern Lebanon desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary. 

The incident took place in the Christian village of Debel, and was captured in a photo that was shared on Wednesday. 

The Israeli military said it had identified the soldier and that he would be disciplined. 

It said it “views the incident gravely and emphasises that the soldier’s conduct completely deviates from the values expected of its troops. 

“The incident will be investigated, and command measures against the soldier will be taken in accordance with the findings,” the military said.

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