IDF soldier seen striking a statue of Jesus at Christian village in Lebanon

A soldier from the Israel Defence Forces has been photographed striking a statue of Jesus with an axe in Lebanon.The Israeli military responded, saying it views the incident with 'great severity' and that 'the soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops'.The image shows the soldier wielding the axe in Debl, a Christian village in south Lebanon near the border with Israel.Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East crisis in early March when the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in support of the Islamic Republic.Israel responded with a bombing campaign across Lebanon and an invasion of the south, where the IDF has remained despite a 10-day ceasefire between the two countries.