The Israeli army has said it is looking into the authenticity of an image circulating on social media that appears to show a soldier in south Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus with a hammer, reports AFP.

Spokesman Nadav Shoshani said on X that the army “is currently examining the reliability of the photograph”.

“If this is indeed a real, recent picture, these actions do not align with the IDF’s values and the behavior expected of IDF soldiers. The incident will be investigated thoroughly and in depth, and if necessary, steps will be taken in accordance with the findings,” he added.