BEIRUT/DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – Israeli forces blew up a school building and shelled multiple towns across southern Lebanon on Sunday, while in Syria an attack on a Christian town and continuing Israeli incursions underscored the sectarian and security crises persisting under the regime of Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. 
Israeli forces detonated a school in the town of Houla in the Marjayoun district after rigging it with explosives, completely destroying the building, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The explosion came alongside continued airstrikes, artillery shelling, and demolition operations across southern Lebanon.
Israeli artillery targeted the outskirts of Mayfadoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, while heavy shelling was reported in the area between Haddatha and Haris in the Bint Jbeil district. 
Artillery also struck Wadi al-Salouqi, the outskirts of Ghondouriyeh, and the Qantara area. Illuminating flares were dropped over Majdal Zoun and Mansouri.
The violence continued despite a disgraceful U.S.-mediated Framework Agreement signed in June that was intended to provide for a gradual Israeli withdrawal alongside Lebanese army deployment. 
In central Syria, armed groups attacked the predominantly Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in Hama province late Saturday, firing at residents, homes, and shops. 
A woman was wounded, and windows and storefronts were shattered, according to video footage circulating on social media. The attackers reportedly came from the nearby town of Qalaat al-Madiq.
Syria’s SANA news agency reported that security forces restored calm after containing the altercation, and the Internal Security Forces said several people from both towns had been detained. 
However, Christian representatives denounced the security response. Yaqub Mirza of the European Syriac Union said security forces had confined affected residents to their homes rather than protecting them from further attacks.
The Syriac Union Party called for a transparent investigation, accountability, and stronger security measures, and demanded that Christians be allowed to join the Internal Security Forces to protect their own communities.
The parish priest in Suqaylabiyah, Father Fadi Sankari, appealed to residents to remain united but reject revenge, saying no one has the right to enter homes or threaten security and dignity, and calling on authorities to assume responsibility for protecting civilians.
The attack is part of a documented pattern of sectarian violence targeting minorities since Jolani, a former Al-Qaeda and Daesh deputy, took power in December 2024. A previous incident in March 2026 involved similar riots and property destruction in Suqaylabiyah.
In southern Syria, Israeli forces continued their incursions into Quneitra and Dara’a provinces. Artillery struck the outskirts of Abidin village in western Daraa countryside, while Israeli forces entered areas west of Sayda al-Hanout in Quneitra with tanks and military vehicles, firing toward residential areas.
A young Syrian man was kidnapped during a raid in al-Hamidiyah in northern Quneitra countryside and released hours later, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A total of 1,068 Israeli incursions into Syrian territory have been documented between December 8, 2024, and September 19, 2026, including 594 in 2026 alone.