The Minister of Education and Higher Education, Rima Karami, strongly condemned the bombing of a government high school in the south, in light of the increasing attacks targeting the educational sector, and demanded immediate international action to protect schools and ensure the continuation of education.
Karami issued a statement condemning what she described as the escalation of Israeli attacks on civilians, educational infrastructure, and homes in Lebanon, noting that the most recent of these attacks was the bombing of the Marwahin Public High School building in southern Lebanon.
Karami expressed her “strong condemnation and denunciation” of this attack, considering that it targeted a school building completely devoid of any military or civilian presence, in a clear violation of the sanctity of educational institutions.
She appealed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and various international organizations and influential countries, demanding the neutralization of civilians, educational institutions and students, noting that these attacks had caused dozens of deaths and injuries.
She stressed the need for educational institutions to remain safe spaces dedicated to science, knowledge and social development, stressing the importance of protecting them from any targeting.
The Minister also called on the international community to take rapid measures to prevent the targeting of more schools, and called for providing exceptional support to strengthen the educational sector and ensure its continuity, especially with many schools turning into shelter centers, and stressed that the Ministry’s plan aims to ensure the continuation of education even in the most difficult circumstances.
This statement comes in the context of increasing attacks on infrastructure in Lebanon, including educational institutions, which exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and places the educational sector facing unprecedented challenges, especially with schools being used as centers to shelter displaced people.
