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Italian soldiers serving with the U.N. peacekeeping force stand alongside a new statue of Jesus crucified in the village of Debel, Lebanon, April 22, 2026, and are joined by the papal nuncio to Lebanon Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and parish priest Father Fadi Felefli. Local community members gather to offer prayers and witness the statue being put in the place of one damaged days earlier when an Israel Defense Forces soldier struck it with the blunt side of an axe. (OSV News photo\/courtesy Debel alert)<\/p>\n
2 IDF soldiers in military detention<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s military removed two soldiers from combat duty and placed them in military detention for 30 days after they destroyed the town\u2019s crucifix. The social media picture of an Israeli soldier taking the blunt side \u200cof an axe to a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross drew<\/a> worldwide condemnation April 20 and apologies from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.<\/p>\n At the time, Father Felefli told the BBC, \u201cWe totally reject the desecration of the cross, our sacred symbol, and all religious symbols. It goes against the declaration of human rights, and it doesn\u2019t reflect civility.\u201d He also said that similar acts had happened before.<\/p>\n Father Felefli told OSV News that a new statue from Lebanon resembling the one that had been destroyed came with the assistance of Italian troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon<\/a>, or UNIFIL, which includes soldiers from 48 nations serving in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n UNIFIL soldier praying before crucifix<\/p>\n A video posted on Facebook<\/a> showed blue-helmet UNIFIL soldiers from Italy carrying the statue encased in a white cloth which they tenderly removed as one soldier could be seen planting a kiss on the head of Jesus on the crucifix. It was then taken inside the town\u2019s church where it was displayed before the congregation and later erected outside by the townspeople. A picture of a UNIFIL soldier can be seen standing in front of the crucifix in prayer.<\/p>\n Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked the Italian soldiers, saying: \u201cI thank Commander Diodato Abagnara and the entire Italian contingent of UNIFIL for their decision to donate a new crucifix to the Lebanese village of Debel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe images of the statue\u2019s delivery to the community and its placement, in the same spot where the statue was destroyed a few days earlier by an IDF soldier, fill my heart and convey a powerful message of hope, dialogue, and peace,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Jesus \u2018will never leave us\u2019<\/p>\n One of the Lebanese women, Alice Hajj, posted on Facebook: \u201cHallelujah \u2026 JESUS will never leave us, we are a people who believe in him and live in him every moment in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe that God, in his divine power, has put Debel on the world map to protect it, to hear its voice, and to remind the world that faith is never defeated, no matter how dark it gets,\u201d said one townperson, who is not named.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe who destroyed the cross did not realize its meaning. \u2026 After the cross comes the resurrection. What some thought is weakness has become our strength. The cross was and will remain our protector, our hope and the sign of our salvation,\u201d the person said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRecently our suffering has increased greatly. It has deeply wounded our homes and broken hearts,\u201d Father Felefli said in a video posted on the site recounting the deaths of a Maronite Catholic priest<\/a>, Father Pierre al-Rahi<\/a>, and others in southern Lebanon as a result of the war between Israel and Hezbollah that started on March 2. Numerous houses and businesses have been destroyed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Have placed our trust in God\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWe have faced many obstacles, but we are steadfast because we have placed our trust in God,\u201d the priest said.<\/p>\n Father Felefli told OSV News that the Israeli Defense Forces made a gift of a different crucifix to the town \u201cwhich is now inside the church.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the papal nuncio to Lebanon was allowed by the Israeli military to travel to Debel because he is a foreigner,\u201d Michel Constantin, who is Lebanese and did not attend the crucifix restoration ceremony, told OSV News April 23. Constantin is the regional director for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission in Lebanon and Syria<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe area of southern Lebanon is under Israeli occupation, where its military is searching the area and occupying some of the houses,\u201d Constantin said.<\/p>\n CNEWA-Pontifical Mission<\/a> has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian aid to Lebanese in the south and Beirut.\u00a0<\/p>\n Israeli attacks continue despite ceasefire<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/useuptop20260420T1019-LEBANON-ISRAEL-CROSS-1818359.jpg\")
An Israeli soldier is seen destroying a statue of Jesus in Debel, Lebanon, April 19, 2026. The Israel Defense Force on April 19 confirmed the authenticity of the photo, which was posted on X by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi. (OSV News photo\/x.com via Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20260423T1220-LEBANON-CHRIST-STATUE-RESTORED-1818824.jpg\")
Father Fadi Felefli, pastor of St. George Parish in Debel, Lebanon, holds a new statue of the crucified Jesus April 22, 2026. Italian soldiers serving with the U.N. peacekeeping force brought the new statue to the village and helped install it to replace one damaged days earlier when an Israel Defense Forces soldier struck it with the blunt side of an axe, sparking international outrage over such a desecration. (OSV News photo\/courtesy Debel alert) Editors: best quality available.<\/p>\n