Israel bulldozes statue of Saint George on Palm Sunday

The Israeli army demolished a statue of Saint George in the town of Yaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate of southern Lebanon, as Christians marked Palm Sunday, according to Lebanese media. 

"The Israeli enemy demolished the statue of Saint George in the town of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district, in a new violation of the ceasefire agreement," the official Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday.

The incident was captured on video, showing an Israeli bulldozer ploughing into and toppling the white statue of Saint George on horseback.

Former Lebanese Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram published the video on social media, accompanied by the caption: "The Zionist enemy demolishes a statue of sacred religious symbolism (Saint George) in southern Lebanon (Yaroun)."

He added that the Israeli army "brazenly documents this, reaffirming its hostility to everything other than itself, and that it is an occupying, alien entity with no place among the peoples and communities of this region".

The act of vandalism by Israel comes as Christians marked Palm Sunday, the seventh Sunday of Lent and the final Sunday before Good Friday, which is followed by the celebration of Easter Sunday.

This day marks the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where he was greeted by people waving palm and olive branches, laying them on the ground, and hailing him as a king, according to Christian tradition.

Saint George is widely revered by Christians around the world, with him famously being the patron saint of England. He is said to have been a Roman soldier born in modern-day Turkey who was killed by his superiors when he refused to renounce his Christian faith.

He is said to be buried in the Palestinian city of Lydda, which is near modern-day Tel Aviv.

As well as Christians, Saint George is also revered by Druze and Muslims, among whom he is known as Mar Girgis or al-Khidr. The most famous mythology associated with him is his slaying of a dragon, which is said to have occurred near Beirut or in Silene in modern-day Libya. 

The legend tells of Saint George slaying the monster after locals are forced to make human sacrifices to it, fearing it would use its devastating power to destroy their towns and villages. 

It is taken by many Christians to be an allegory for the righteous battling and overcoming the devil. 

Israel continues to illegally occupy five points in southern Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces have carried out bulldozing, demolitions, and targeted explosions, destroying infrastructure, houses, religious and cultural sites, farmland, and sewage systems in the occupied areas.

It began its occupation after it launched a brutal bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon last year, leaving over 4000 Lebanese dead and displacing at least 1.4 million people, the vast majority in the country's south.