The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the authenticity of a photograph showing one of its soldiers in southern Lebanon smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer, prompting widespread outrage and an official investigation.

The image, which circulated online over the weekend, showed the soldier destroying the statue in the Christian village of Debel, an area where Israeli forces had recently conducted operations against Hezbollah.

In a statement issued shortly after midnight on Sunday into Monday, the military said an initial review had confirmed that the photograph depicted an Israeli soldier operating in southern Lebanon.

“The IDF views the incident with great severity and emphasises that the soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops,” the statement said.

The military added that the matter was being investigated by its Northern Command and would be handled through the chain of command, with appropriate disciplinary action to be taken against those involved.

It also said the Northern Command would assist the local Christian community in restoring the damaged statue.

Gideon Sa’ar condemned the act as a “shameful action” and issued an apology over the incident.

The controversy comes only days into a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, and follows other incidents in which footage has emerged of Israeli soldiers allegedly damaging or looting property during military operations.

The incident has also drawn renewed attention amid recent tensions between the Israeli Government and Christian leaders in Jerusalem.