The Israeli army continues its offensive in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire in effect since April 17th. On Friday, it reportedly blew up the convent and school of the Sisters of the Holy Savior in Yaroun, as reported by the Lebanese French-language newspaper L’Orient le Jour. “A blatant violation of international law,” according to Father Charbel Naddaf, the parish priest of Yaroun, as interviewed by our colleagues.
The school attached to the convent has educated thousands of students and was considered “one of the most important educational institutions in the region,” reports the Anadolu Agency in Turkey. According to the Lebanese official news agency (ANI), houses, shops, and roads were also demolished in Yaroun on Thursday. Destructions were also reported in Shamaa, further west.
The strikes on Lebanon continue
On Thursday, 17 people were killed in strikes in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army has established a 10 km deep zone from the border, off-limits to the press and the population, and carries out demolition operations. Additional strikes killed at least 13 people on Friday, as reported by the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Israel claims to be protecting its northern region from Hezbollah, which continues to claim attacks on Israeli positions in Lebanon and, less frequently, on Israeli territory. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel “reserves the right to take, at any time, all necessary measures in legitimate defense against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks,” a clause that Hezbollah disputes.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, over 2,600 people have been killed since the resumption of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, amidst the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
