Israeli army destroys three schools in southern Lebanon, minister says

Lebanon's education sector has sustained significant damage during the ongoing conflict with Israel. According to the country's education minister, three schools were recently destroyed after being looted and demolished with explosives. This destruction adds to a broader pattern of educational infrastructure damage across southern Lebanon, bringing the total number of completely destroyed schools to at least 20, with more than 100 additional institutions sustaining damage.

The scale of educational disruption has created a humanitarian concern. UNESCO estimates that approximately 500,000 Lebanese children are currently unable to attend school as a result of the conflict. The organization has warned that prolonged interruptions to education can have lasting developmental and psychological consequences for affected children.

The conflict between Israel and Lebanon escalated significantly in March 2024, following months of cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah that began after October 2023. According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military operations since March have resulted in at least 4,324 deaths, 12,223 injuries, and displaced over one million people, including 250 children. The UN Development Programme estimates that more than 11,000 buildings in southern Lebanon have been destroyed since the conflict intensified.

Lebanon's education minister has called on the international community to pressure Israel to cease attacks on educational facilities and protect schools from military operations, emphasizing that such destruction occurs despite international commitments to safeguard educational institutions during armed conflicts. A US-mediated framework agreement signed on June 26 provides for phased Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, though no specific timeline has been established.