Beirut, April 20 -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the authenticity of a viral image showing an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon, triggering widespread outrage.

The photograph, which has garnered more than 6.8 million views on X, shows a soldier striking the head of a crucified Jesus statue during military operations.

In a statement issued on Monday, April 20, the military said that "following the completion of an initial examination", it had determined the image depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon.

The IDF said it views the incident with "great severity" and stressed that the soldier's conduct is "wholly inconsistent with the values expected of it...