Israeli army destroys three schools in southern Lebanon, education minister says
Lebanon's education minister announced that Israeli forces looted and blew up three schools in the south, bringing the total number of completely destroyed schools to 20.
The Israeli military has looted and destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon using explosives, reducing them to "piles of ashes," according to Education and Higher Education Minister Rima Karami. Her statement was carried by Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) on Friday.
These demolitions bring the total number of schools completely destroyed in southern Lebanon to at least 20, with more than 100 damaged. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported in June that 17 schools had been destroyed and over 100 damaged in Lebanon.
Karami said the attacks on educational institutions are taking place "before the eyes of the entire world," despite international commitments to protect schools during armed conflicts. She called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt attacks on schools.
The fighting in Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war in March after months of cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah following the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since March have killed at least 4,324 people, injured 12,223, and displaced more than one million others, including 250 children. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) estimates that over 11,000 buildings in southern Lebanon have been destroyed since March.
On June 26, Lebanon and Israel signed a US-mediated framework agreement for a phased Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory, linked to the disarmament of Hezbollah in the occupied territories. No timetable was set.
