Lebanon resident recognizes family crucifix smashed by Israeli soldier in viral image

BEIRUT (AP) — Houssam Naddaf said no words could capture the shock of seeing an Israeli soldier smash a crucifix in his family’s private garden in the southern Lebanese village of Debel — an image he recognized instantly as it spread online.

“I saw it on the internet like everyone else,” he said. Naddaf had not been able to go to the house in person to see the damage because of restrictions on movement imposed by Israeli forces in the area.

Israeli forces took control of the area as part of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired a salvo of missiles over the border two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Israel then launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon and its forces have remained there despite the announcement of a truce last week.

The images of the soldier swinging an ax into the fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern Lebanese village of Debel had sparked widespread condemnation, in Lebanon and internationally.

Israel’s military said Tuesday that it had replaced the sculpture, and Naddaf confirmed that the Israeli army brought a similar but smaller crucifix, offered an apology and installed it in the presence of village priests.

However, Naddaf said that his family members, who were not present for that installation, already had been contacted by U.N. peacekeepers about a crucifix being offered by Italy. The family decided to accept the Italian donation, a statue about the same size as the original, and give the Israel-supplied one to a local church instead.

The Italian-donated crucifix was erected in a small ceremony Wednesday attended by local priests, residents and U.N. peacekeepers, along with Naddaf and other members of his family.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sent a message from Italy calling the replaced statue “a powerful message of peace, hope, and dialogue.”

The family had installed the original crucifix in the garden in 2018, part of a shared property that Naddaf and his three brothers have divided into four apartments for their families since 2010.

Naddaf said his home sits on the edge of Debel, between the village and nearby Rmeish — an area residents consider more exposed than the village center, which is largely seen as outside the main fighting zone. Naddaf said he moved with his wife and three children to his parents’ home deeper inside Debel when the war reignited between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2.

Since agreeing last week to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been leveling neighborhoods in towns and villages near the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The military says it only targets buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group. But in many areas, the demolition is almost complete. The wide scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents increasingly worried that large numbers of people displaced by the latest war will have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds.

Despite the ceasefire, Naddaf said his family has been barred by the Israeli army from returning to their home.

Israeli forces are occupying a border strip that extends around 10 km (6 mi) into Lebanese territory, describing the area as a necessary buffer zone to protect its northern towns from Hezbollah rockets. Many Lebanese civilians fear the moves could lead to prolonged displacement.

Unlike during the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, when Naddaf’s family was displaced to Beirut, he said they chose to remain in the village this time. “It was clear that the plan was expulsion, so we say good thing we didn’t leave this time,” he said.

Upon visiting his home during the crucifix installation, escorted by U.N. peacekeepers, he said he found a “total mess,” though he said he was grateful that the house was still standing, unlike several nearby homes that were demolished.