Israel Destroys More Schools in Lebanon as President Aoun Heads to U.S.

Date: 19 July 2026 - 00:41

News ID: ۱۵۱۸۸۸

BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- The Israeli military has looted and destroyed three schools in southern Lebanon, according to Education Minister Rima Karami, who said the institutions were rigged with explosives and reduced to “piles of ashes”.
Two schools in Khiam and one in Bint Jbeil were targeted, adding to a growing list of educational institutions destroyed during the conflict.
UNESCO reported in June that 17 schools had been destroyed and over 100 damaged in Lebanon; the latest demolitions bring the number to at least 20.
Karami condemned the destruction as taking place “before the eyes of the entire world,” despite international commitments to protect schools during armed conflict, and called on major powers to pressure Israel to halt attacks on educational institutions.
The latest demolitions come as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun departed Beirut for Washington on Saturday for talks with President Donald Trump, expected to focus on implementing a U.S.-mediated framework agreement signed on June 26.
The agreement provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory but sets no timetable, linking withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah—a condition analysts describe as unattainable.
Critics have sharply condemned the deal as an “imposed settlement” that places “all the burden on Lebanon” while granting Israel indefinite justification for maintaining a military presence in the south.
Fawaz Gerges of the London School of Economics called the agreement “born dead,” structurally flawed because it hinges on Hezbollah’s disarmament, “something that would never happen”.
The deal has been described by critics as enabling Israel to decide about Lebanese Army deployment while obligating Lebanon to further concessions.
Particularly controversial is Clause 13, which critics say effectively prevents Lebanon from pursuing accountability for Israeli war crimes in international legal forums—an aspect the International Federation of Journalists denounced as a betrayal of victims’ rights.
Since March, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,324 people, injured 12,223, and displaced over one million. Over 11,000 buildings have been destroyed, and approximately 500,000 Lebanese children remain out of school.