IDF causes damage to Catholic convent in south Lebanon; army acknowledges, says has ‘no intention of harming religious buildings’

The Israeli military acknowledges that it caused some damage to a Catholic convent in southern Lebanon while working to demolish Hezbollah infrastructure, but denies that it “demolished” the site with bulldozers.

According to the IDF, during operations in the border village of Yaroun, forces caused damage to a structure that “had no external signs indicating it was a religious building.”

“After identifying religious indicators in the complex, the forces acted to prevent further damage,” the military says, attaching photos showing the intact structure.

The IDF says that Hezbollah had used the compound to launch rockets “multiple times” during the war, “which is why the forces operated there, with the aim of destroying the organization’s terror infrastructure.”

“The IDF takes care to destroy only terror infrastructure and has no intention of harming religious buildings,” the military adds.

#للتوضيح ????في إطار نشاط قوات جيش الدفاع في منطقة قرية يارون في جنوب لبنان، تعمل القوات على إزالة التهديدات وتدمير البنى التحتية الإرهابية التي أقامها حزب الله في المنطقة.

????بعد تدقيق الأمر تبين أنه في إطار نشاطات القوات في سبيل تدمير البنى التحتية الإرهابية تضرر أحد المنازل… pic.twitter.com/F33bHFYCiT

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) May 2, 2026

Gladys Sabbagh, the superior general of the Basilian Salvatorian Sisters, tells The Associated Press that the convent was a small compound housing just two nuns, who left because of the war. It had previously included a school and a clinic.

Sabbagh says they “heard” the convent “was destroyed with bulldozers.”

In its own statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry says “claims that a monastery in Yaroun in South Lebanon was ‘demolished’ are false. The site is intact and safe.”

???? FAKE NEWS

Claims that a monastery in Yaroun in South Lebanon was “demolished” are false. The site is intact and safe.

Spreading unverified reports like this is reckless, fuels unnecessary tension, and distorts the reality on the ground.

Hezbollah has repeatedly used… pic.twitter.com/8k4dqaD1zK

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 2, 2026

AP contributed to this report.