Israel, Poland trade accusations over IDF conduct after Lebanon incident

A diplomatic dispute has emerged between Israel and Poland following sharp exchanges between their foreign ministers over the conduct of Israeli forces.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar strongly rejected criticism from his Polish counterpart, defending the actions and standards of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after an incident involving an Israeli reservist in Lebanon, Caliber.Az reports.

I strongly reject your unfounded, and defamatory statements against the IDF.

What you wrote reflects ignorance and a deep lack of understanding.
In every war, there are operational accidents, including cases where a military force is harmed by its own fire. Unfortunately, in… https://t.co/nVK6hxkW5f

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 20, 2026

In a post on X, Sa’ar said: “I strongly reject your unfounded, and defamatory statements against the IDF. What you wrote reflects ignorance and a deep lack of understanding.”

He acknowledged that “in every war, there are operational accidents” and that civilians can be harmed, particularly when “terrorists use civilian populations as human shields,” but insisted the IDF operates with exceptional precision and ethics.

“There is no Western military that fights terrorism more precisely, or on the basis of better intelligence, than the IDF, with a constant effort to minimize civilian casualties,” Sa’ar wrote, adding that “the ratio between terrorist and civilian casualties is better than that of any other Western military. In fact, better than any fighting force in the world.”

Sa’ar also called the IDF “a professional and ethical army” and said it has faced threats to Israel’s existence for decades. He urged his Polish counterpart to condemn what he described as an antisemitic incident in Poland’s parliament, warning against “irresponsible statements that can ultimately lead to dangerous consequences.”

The remarks were in response to comments by Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who criticized Israel following reports that an IDF reservist had posted a photo of himself destroying a statue of Jesus in Lebanon.

Sikorski said Israel’s leadership had reason to apologize for the incident and called for accountability. “It’s good that Minister Sa’ar apologized quickly; there was something to apologize for,” he wrote on X. “That soldier should be punished, but lessons should also be drawn regarding the way they are being trained.”

He further accused Israeli forces of misconduct, stating: “IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but even their own hostages.”

By Sabina Mammadli