A new investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has found that invading Israeli units committed apparent war crimes during their aggression on South Lebanon between September and November 2024, including the deliberate looting and destruction of schools, compounding the collapse of Lebanon’s already strained education system.

According to HRW, Israeli troops vandalized and ransacked at least two schools during that period, a move the organization says constitutes a war crime. “By pillaging schools, Israeli forces committed apparent war crimes and put the education of students in Lebanon at risk,” said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The group visited seven schools between January and March 2025 in border villages and towns, including Ayta al-Shaab, Tayr Harfa, Naqoura, Yarine, Ramyah, Aitaroun, and Bani Hayyan. Five of the seven schools showed clear signs of Israeli occupation, including Hebrew graffiti, discarded food packaging, and other debris in Hebrew. In schools in Aitaroun and Bani Hayyan, while structural damage was present, HRW found no evidence of Israeli presence.

Schools left in ruins as soldiers loot, vandalize facilities

Across these schools, researchers documented extensive damage consistent with explosives and small arms fire. Classrooms and administrative offices were looted or destroyed, with computers, furniture, and teaching materials ruined. In Yarine and Naqoura, the group noted strong evidence that “Israeli forces deliberately destroyed and looted school property.”

Kaiss stated, “Many of southern Lebanon’s border villages have been razed to the ground, and where schools were left standing, several had been vandalized, and at least two had been ransacked by Israeli forces.”

The destruction comes amid an ongoing education crisis. Lebanese children have suffered repeated interruptions to schooling since the 2019 economic collapse. The situation has only worsened due to war and forced displacement. UNICEF reports that over 100 schools across southern Lebanon were destroyed or severely damaged since October 2023.

Hebrew-language graffiti found in Naqoura Intermediate Public School suggested that Israeli occupation extended even “weeks after the ceasefire on November 27, 2024,” HRW reported.

IOF downplay crimes

On May 16, HRW submitted a detailed letter to the Israeli military outlining its findings. In response, an Israeli spokesperson said that their troops “sometimes must operate within civilian buildings depending on operational needs” but claimed that “vandalism of civilian property contradicts IDF values and regulations.” The spokesperson said violations of conduct would be addressed internally.

International law prohibits deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions. HRW reiterated that “violations of the laws of war committed intentionally or recklessly by individuals constitute war crimes.” Schools, even public ones, are protected under international humanitarian law.

Safe Schools Declaration

Lebanon has endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, committing to safeguarding education in times of armed conflict and refraining from using schools for military purposes. "Israel" has not signed the declaration.

Furthermore, HRW called on “Israel’s” allies to pressure the entity to cease its deliberate targeting and militarization of civilian infrastructure, particularly schools. The group also called on Lebanon and international donors to urgently invest in reconstruction and to “ensure transparency, accountability, and freedom from corruption.”

“Urgent reconstruction efforts are needed so that tens of thousands of displaced residents can begin returning to their homes and villages and children can fully access their right to education,” Kaiss added. “Just as importantly, Lebanon’s government should ensure justice for abuses and crimes, including by granting jurisdiction to the ICC.”

HRW calls on Lebanon to grant ICC jurisdiction over war crimes

HRW urged the Lebanese government to authorize the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate international crimes committed on Lebanese soil since October 2023.

The latest round of hostilities began on October 8, 2023, following Israeli aggression along the southern border. Though the school year had been scheduled to begin on October 9, Israeli shelling forced many public schools to remain closed, and tens of thousands of residents were forcibly displaced. From September 30 to October 7, 2024, Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon and ordered the evacuation of over 100 towns and villages. Even after the November ceasefire, Israeli troops continued to occupy five points, with near-daily incursions into border villages, causing widespread damage and blocking residents' return.

Since the ceasefire, Israeli attacks have killed at least 260 Lebanese civilians, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. More than 82,000 people remain forcibly displaced, as per the International Organization for Migration.

The toll on education and civilian life continues to mount, while "Israel’s" occupation and targeting of schools deepen the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.