A powerful explosion by the Israeli army in Khiam, in southern Lebanon, caused significant material damage in several nearby localities on the night of Tuesday 22 to Wednesday 23 September 2026. The blast broke windows, damaged doors and caused cracks in houses in Jdeidet Marjayoun and Qlayaa. The Marjayoun National School was also affected. Its administration temporarily suspended the courses in order to secure the premises and replace the windows destroyed.
A powerful explosion in Khiam shortly before midnight
The deflagration occurred at around midnight in Khiam, a town in Marjayoun District in an area in southern Lebanon that has been subjected to numerous Israeli military operations for several months.
According to information available on Wednesday morning, the Israeli army carried out a major blasting operation in the town. The explosion generated a shock wave strong enough to cause damage beyond Khiam.
Its effects were observed in Jdeidet Marjayoun and Qlayaa, two locations opposite Khiam. In the morning, people discovered broken windows and various damage to their homes.
No reports of casualties directly caused by the explosion in neighbouring localities were provided in the first available information on Wednesday morning.
The extent of material damage also remained to be assessed. However, early findings show that the blast was not limited to the immediate perimeter of the explosion site.
Damaged houses in Marjayoun and Qlayaa
In Jdeidet Marjayoun and Qlayaa, the shock wave hit several residential buildings.
The damage reported includes windows whose windows have been shattered. Some doors were also torn or moved under pressure. Cracks appeared on the walls of several houses.
This damage gives an indication of the intensity of the explosion in Khiam. Even from the point of detonation, the breath was strong enough to affect structures in the surrounding localities.
However, the information available on Wednesday morning was not sufficient to determine the exact number of dwellings affected, nor to provide a financial estimate of the damage.
The consequences of the deflagration therefore still need to be addressed in a more precise inventory. The repairs concern immediately broken openings and elements of buildings which pose a risk to their occupants.
Explosion in Khiam: the affected National School
The most immediate consequences for daily life were observed at the Marjayoun National School.
A large part of the windows in the classroom were broken by the breath. The presence of broken glass and the need to repair windows led the administration to temporarily interrupt the courts.
This measure is intended to protect students, teachers and staff during work.
In particular, the school must replace damaged windows before it can again accommodate students in normal safe conditions. No specific dates for the resumption of courses had been announced in the first information available on Wednesday.
The suspension thus appears directly related to the material damage caused by the explosion and not to a general decision concerning the schools in the region.
The incident, however, occurred at a particularly sensitive time, at the beginning of the school year, when schools in southern Lebanon were operating in an unstable security environment.
A wave of shock felt beyond Khiam
The geography of the area explains in part why the consequences of the explosion were observed in several localities.
Khiam, Jdeidet Marjayoun and Qlayaa belong to the same geographical area in southeastern Lebanon. High-power explosions can thus be heard and felt several kilometres away, especially when they result from the blasting of buildings or infrastructure.
In the case of the explosion that occurred on the night of 22-23 September, damage to windows and doors shows that the pressure wave retained a significant force reaching the nearby inhabited areas.
The damage to the Marjayoun National School also illustrates the indirect consequences of these operations. Even when a school is not the place of explosion, the breath can make certain rooms temporarily unusable.
The priority for the school is now to make the necessary repairs before the resumption of educational activities.
Khiam at the center of repeated operations in 2026
The explosion occurs in a context of high tensions in the Khiam and Marjayoun sectors.
During the year 2026, Khiam was the scene of strikes, movements of Israeli forces and several destruction operations. Buildings and infrastructure in the community have suffered considerable damage during military operations.
Also at the beginning of September, reports were received of Israeli armoured movements east of Khiam and of fire in the area. Other locations in southern Lebanon were simultaneously affected by shelling and blasting operations.
On the morning of 23 September, another effect of the night explosion in Khiam was reported in the region: an interruption of power supply affecting areas such as Hasbaya, Shebaa and Arqoub.
These elements reflect consequences that go beyond the location of military operations. Infrastructure, housing and now a school in Marjayoun can be affected by actions in a nearby town.
Remedies required before courses resume
At the Marjayoun National School, the immediate issue is now material and secure.
Damaged windows shall be repaired and glass debris removed. The administration must ensure that the rooms concerned no longer pose a danger before the return of students and teaching staff.
The duration of the interruption will therefore depend on the progress of this work.
In the affected homes in Jdeidet Marjayoun and Qlayaa, residents also face the consequences of the explosion. Replacement of windows and doors is the most urgent intervention, while cracks reported on some walls will need to be examined to determine their severity.
No comprehensive damage census had yet been made public on Wednesday morning.
The situation is therefore still evolving in the sector. Future findings will need to clarify the extent of the damage caused by the Khiam explosion, while the Marjayoun National School is waiting for the completion of the necessary repairs to set the date for the resumption of the courses.
