The unfounded claim was made by an anonymous source and no independent evidence supported the allegations made.

The photo of the soldier with the statue, a cigarette dangling from his own mouth, went viral and sparked widespread outrage.

The IDF says that actions involving Christian statues in Lebanon will be treated severely and the offenders punished.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar appointed veteran diplomat George Deek to the newly created role to foster ties with Christians.

The IDF said that the statue has been replaced “in full coordination with the local community of Debel in southern Lebanon."

"The IDF is working to assist the community in restoring the statue to its place," an Israeli military spokesman said.

As Iran launches missiles in a spastic, hateful rage, a brutal U.S. pounding of Iranian targets could help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

A new report says Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is an empty shell atop a regime growing weaker every day.

Israel announced that it has killed its third top Iranian official this week, adding that it will be escalating its attacks on Iran.

Iran makes war on the world as it attacks oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, despite a warning from President Donald Trump.