Israeli forces destroy three schools in southern Lebanon

Lebanese Education and Higher Education Minister Rima Karami announced that Israeli forces destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon after looting their contents and rigging the buildings with explosives. In a statement carried by Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Friday, Karami said the schools were "looted" before being reduced to "piles of ashes" using explosives. She expressed outrage that the destruction occurred "before the eyes of the entire world" and highlighted that international law protects schools during armed conflicts.

Two of the destroyed schools were located in Khiam, a municipality in Nabatieh Governorate, and one school was in Bint Jbeil, also in Nabatieh Governorate. Karami noted that these demolitions add to a long list of educational institutions destroyed by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. She called on leaders of major powers to pressure Israel to halt such destruction and keep educational institutions out of conflicts.

On March 2, Hezbollah launched military operations against Israel in response to Israeli aggression against Iran, repeated violations of the 2024 ceasefire, and continued occupation of Lebanese territory. Following an Iran-US ceasefire on April 8, Israel was compelled to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon after Tehran demanded an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanese soil as a condition in indirect negotiations with Washington. Additionally, a US-brokered framework agreement signed on June 26 requires Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory.

According to Mehr News, the Lebanese official emphasized that international law recognizes schools, educational centers, hospitals, and sports facilities as protected places, often used as refugee shelters during emergencies. She urged the international community to mount legitimate pressure on Israel to stop the destruction.