The Israeli military said Thursday it would investigate after a soldier was photographed placing a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.

An image appearing to show an Israeli soldier with his arm around the revered Christian figure and holding a cigarette up to her mouth was widely shared on social media on Wednesday.

In Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Israeli strikes reduced a building complex to a metal shell, student Rana walked towards her home, though like many others she fears the full-scale eruption of war again.

The Israelis “are not reliable, they can strike again at any moment,” said the young woman, refusing to give her full name.

Israeli strikes targeted Thursday the southern city of Nabatieh and other villages and towns in south Lebanon, while Hezbollah claimed attacks on Israeli troops and equipment in al-Bayyada and Deir Seryan.

Strikes targeted overnight into Thursday al-Majadel, Mayfadoun, Habboush, Yater, Dweir, Bouyout al-Siyyed, Kfar Roumman, and Erzi, while shelling targeted Aita al-Shaab, Ramia, Shaqra, Baraashit, Ghandourieh, Kfour, Deir Zahrani, Sreefa, Froun, Qalaway, Burj Qalaway, and Wadi al-Hjeir.

The Israeli military said in a statement Thursday that an "explosive drone impact" had wounded four of its soldiers -- one severely -- in southern Lebanon the previous day.

Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs Wednesday in the first such attack in nearly a month, killing a senior Hezbollah commander from its elite Radwan force.

An Israeli strike in Lebanon's West Bekaa killed four people on Wednesday, while the Israeli army said it struck Hezbollah targets in the south, after warning residents of a dozen towns to evacuate.

Israel and Hezbollah have been trading accusations of violating the ceasefire agreement in force since April 17. Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for several operations targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, as well as attacks on northern Israel.

The third round of Lebanese-Israeli talks will be held next week at the U.S. State Department over two consecutive days, either Wednesday and Thursday or Thursday and Friday, LBCI television reported Wednesday.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Wednesday that "talking about any potential meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still premature."

Pope Leo XIV surprised 13 priests from southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, by joining a video call from Rome on Wednesday, telling them they were in his prayers and that he hoped peace would soon prevail along the tense frontier.

The Lebanese Catholic and Maronite priests were asked to attend an online morning meeting with the Vatican's ambassador to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia. Once online, Borgia told them Leo was also present and would like to speak with them.

Israel's army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to dismantle Hezbollah and saying the military was prepared to launch a new offensive against Iran if needed.

A Lebanese court on Wednesday acquitted singer Fadel Shaker of the attempted murder of an official from a Hezbollah-allied group, a judicial official told AFP, after the star surrendered to police.