Beirut, MINA – The Israeli army demolished the statue of Saint George in the southern Lebanese town of Yaroun as Christians celebrated Palm Sunday, according to reports from Lebanese media, as quoted by Palestine Chronicle.
Video footage shared online showed an Israeli military bulldozer tearing down the statue, an act confirmed by former Lebanese Labor Minister Moustafa Bayram, who posted the video on social media. The exact date of the demolition was not disclosed.
Bayram condemned the action, accusing Israel of hostility toward religious and cultural symbols in the region. There has been no official response from the Israeli army regarding the incident.
This act is the latest in a series of reported violations of the ceasefire agreement established in November 2024 between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese authorities have documented over 1,440 Israeli ceasefire violations, resulting in at least 125 deaths and over 370 injuries.
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Despite a ceasefire deadline that required full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon by January 26, later extended to February 18, Israel still maintains forces at five border outposts.
Meanwhile, on Palm Sunday, Israeli forces reportedly barred Palestinian Christians from the West Bank from entering Jerusalem to take part in religious celebrations. The restrictions, which require Palestinians to obtain permits to cross military checkpoints, prevented access to key holy sites like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas condemned the restrictions, calling them part of a systematic policy of racial exclusion and an effort to sever Palestinians from their land and sacred sites. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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