Israeli soldiers sent to military prison for desecrating Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ icons

Two Israeli soldiers have been sentenced to military prison for desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.

One soldier received 21 days in prison after sticking a cigarette in the statue’s mouth. The second soldier, who took the photograph, was given 14 days.

The image spread rapidly online and triggered widespread outrage. It was the latest act by Israeli forces denounced as anti-Christian in the region.

The same week, soldiers who used an axe on the face of a fallen statue of Jesus Christ on the cross in the southern Lebanon village of Debel were also sentenced to time in military prison.

The incidents occurred while Israeli forces maintained control of parts of southern Lebanon following their ground invasion earlier this year as part of the conflict with Hezbollah.

Israeli officials have claimed their forces only target buildings used as militant outposts, but repeated vandalism of Christian religious sites has drawn sharp condemnation from foreign leaders, Christian figures, and some Israeli politicians.