Italian UN peacekeepers have replaced the statue of Jesus Christ vandalised by Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, AFP reports citing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The sculpture of a crucified Jesus was located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel. A photo shared online showed an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of the statue, sparking international condemnation.

Meloni, in a statement, has thanked the Italian contingent of the UN’s Unifil peacekeeping force “for deciding to donate a new crucifix to the Lebanese village of Debl”.

She says the installation of the new statue is “a powerful message of hope, dialogue and peace”.