The desecration in southern Lebanon follows earlier incidents in which Israeli troops were accused of damaging Christian sites

A photograph appearing to show an Israeli soldier placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon has sparked outrage online.

The image, which surfaced on Wednesday, was reportedly taken in the predominantly Christian village of Dibil, near the border with Israel, and uploaded to social media by IDF soldiers.

In a statement to RT, the IDF said it views the incident “with utmost severity” and that the soldier’s conduct “completely deviates” from its values.…