Israel Bulldozes Homes In Yaroun, Destroying Convent And School In South Lebanon

In Yaroun, a village in south Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district located about a kilometer from the Israeli border, residents say their homes were destroyed as the Israeli army used bulldozers and explosives since late April.

“WHAT SOUTH LEBANON'S DESTROYED VILLAGES MEAN TO THEIR PEOPLE 'My children broke down in tears when I told them our house in Yaroun had been destroyed' L'Orient Today / By Editorial staff, 12 May 2026 09:42 Lire cet article en français”

L'Orient Today

L'Orient Today quotes a resident saying, "My children broke down in tears when I told them our house in Yaroun had been destroyed," describing the impact of the destruction in the village.

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The same L'Orient Today account says Yaroun is within the "buffer zone" declared by Israel after the April 17, 2026 cease-fire.

It also says that in early May Israel destroyed the convent and its attached school, sparking mass outrage.

The article reports that these acts of destruction were denounced to L’Orient-Le Jour by parish priest Father Charles Naddaf, Greek-Melkite Catholic metropolitan of Zahle and the Bekaa Ibrahim Mikail Ibrahim, and L’Œuvre d’Orient, a French Catholic association.

The National says exclusive data and satellite imagery indicate large-scale destruction in southern Lebanon that legal experts say amounts to "wanton destruction" and potential war crimes.

It reports that Israel’s "yellow line" buffer has effectively occupied at least five per cent of Lebanese territory and that nearly 100,000 civilian buildings are destroyed or damaged, including 27,000 homes, 182 public buildings, 35 schools and nine historical landmarks, according to the Southern Council.

The National

The National quotes Abbas Tanoukhi, saying, "They’ve left nothing. Nothing," as he points to a satellite image of Khiam where he recalls the location of buildings, schools, hospitals and religious landmarks.

It adds that humanitarian infrastructure has been heavily hit, disrupting water and electricity for over half a million people, with documented damage extending beyond the declared buffer zone.

The National also reports that Nadim Houry, executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative, called the strategy in the south a "clear example of wanton destruction."

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli fighter jets destroyed one of the Litani River bridges and that Israeli jets destroyed the Al-Qaqaqiya Bridge over the Litani River at dawn, with the Qaqaqiya Bridge described as one of five major bridges linking the two banks of the Litani.

“Exclusive data and satellite imagery indicate large-scale destruction in southern Lebanon that legal experts say amounts to “wanton destruction” and potential war crimes”

The National

It says Egypt condemned Israel’s shelling of bridges and infrastructure in Lebanon, warning of the risks of any ground invasion, and that Cairo’s statement said it "condemns Israel’s shelling of facilities and infrastructure in Lebanon".

Al Jazeera also reports that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, "the Litani River must be the border between us and Lebanon," and that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued instructions to destroy all bridges on the Litani River and speed up demolition of houses in the border area.

In parallel, اندبندنت عربية reports that Israeli forces destroyed 17 surveillance cameras belonging to UNIFIL’s headquarters within 24 hours, according to a UN security source cited by Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

It further reports that UNIFIL spokesperson Candice Ardell said peacekeepers observed "Israeli soldiers carrying out wide-scale demolitions" in Naqoura, and that those operations "not only destroyed the homes and shops of civilians, but also damaged UNIFIL's command headquarters."