Photo of smiling 'Israeli' soldier at damaged Lebanon church draws condemnation

• Al-Qaouzah Mayor Charbel Rizk urged international bodies, Lebanese authorities, and the papacy to protect the 120-year-old structure and establish safe access for displaced villagers
• Catholic aid association L'Œuvre d'Orient condemned attacks on religious sites

A picture showing a smiling 'Israeli' soldier posing outside a damaged Christian church in the southern Lebanese village of Al-Qaouzah circulated widely on social media, triggering condemnation from local officials and regional Christian advocacy groups, Lebanese daily L'Orient-Le Jour reported.

The image shows the female soldier standing in front of Saint Joseph Church in the Bint Jbeil district, surrounded by rubble, with an earthen berm and debris partially obstructing the building's entrance.

Al-Qaouzah Mayor Charbel Rizk publicly called on Lebanese authorities and the papacy to intervene to safeguard the 120-year-old church, emphasizing its historical and communal significance to local residents.

"Our ancestors built the church through their hard work," Rizk told L'Orient-Le Jour. "The dome was already damaged during the conflict, and there is damage inside."

Rizk also appealed for the creation of secure corridors to allow displaced residents to return to the border village, which has remained cut off from civilian access. "We call for a safe road to be set up so we can reach Qaouzah," he stated, noting that the community has been inaccessible to locals since early March due to its strategic positioning near the frontier.

The photo also drew condemnation from Vincent Gélot, director of the French Catholic charitable association L'Œuvre d'Orient, which coordinates relief missions to isolated Christian villages in the region, including Rmeish, Ain Ibl, and Dibil.

"It is unacceptable to attack religious sanctuaries," Gélot said, confirming that his organization is liaising with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paolo Borgia regarding the situation.

However, Gélot emphasized that independent verification of the damage remains constrained by a lack of field access. "We do not know when this destruction occurred or who committed it," he noted, adding that his organization requires precise factual verification before formal responsibility can be conclusively established.

Online Christian advocacy groups, including the regional page SOS Chrétiens de Jabal Amel, condemned the circulating image, questioning the military necessity of operations near historical religious sites.

The episode follows earlier controversies surrounding military conduct near religious monuments in southern Lebanon. In May, social media images showed an 'Israeli' soldier placing a cigarette on a statue of the Virgin Mary in Dibil, while an abandoned convent was damaged in Yaroun later that month.