Italian troops serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have replaced a statue of Jesus destroyed by an Israeli soldier in a southern Lebanese village, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said, ANSA reported on April 23.

A photograph of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier using the blunt end of an axe to destroy the statue in the garden of a Christian family drew widespread international condemnation.

"We expressed indignation at the acts of vandalism committed against symbols of the Christian faith by Israeli forces," Tajani told a question-time session in the Italian Senate. "These are intolerable offences that violate religious freedom and the values on which civil coexistence is founded."

"For this reason, I appreciated the Israeli government's firm condemnation and the immediate arrest of those responsible," Tajani added.

"We are proud of our men in UNIFIL, who donated a new statue of Jesus to replace the one destroyed by an Israeli soldier. This is the hallmark of our armed forces. Peacekeepers who are appreciated and respected throughout the world," Tajani said.

Italy is one of the largest contributors to UNIFIL, with Italian troops having served in the mission since the 1978 deployment. The force operates primarily in southern Lebanon with a mandate to monitor the Blue Line ceasefire with Israel and support the Lebanese Armed Forces.

An Israeli soldier was sentenced to 30 days of military detention after being photographed destroying a Christ statue in the Christian village, the IDF confirmed on April 21.

The incident came to light after a photograph circulated on social media showing the soldier striking the statue's head with a mallet. A second soldier who photographed the act will also receive 30 days of detention and be removed from combat duty alongside the perpetrator.

Six additional soldiers who were present at the scene and failed to intervene or report the incident have been summoned for clarification discussions, with further measures to be determined thereafter.

The IDF's 162nd Division, commanded by Brigadier General Sagiv Dahan, conducted the inquiry. "The inquiry determined that the soldiers' conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values," the IDF said in a press statement.

The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions in the region following the US-Israeli war on Iran and ongoing conflict along the Israel-Lebanon border. A 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire announced by Qatar took effect on April 17.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein in Doha this week to discuss regional de-escalation.

Lebanon's Christian communities, particularly in the south, have been under significant pressure during the continuing security crisis, with cross-border hostilities causing displacement from traditionally Christian villages.