The Truth Behind the Viral “Lebanese Girl Asks Israel to Bomb Her School” Story
A Pro-Israel Influencer’s Claim Goes Viral — But the Facts Tell a Different Story
What was initially presented as a dramatic story of a brave Lebanese girl exposing a Hezbollah weapons cache quickly unraveled when it emerged that the entire incident was a teenage prank—a desperate attempt to avoid school exams.
The story began when Eyal Yakoby, a pro-Israel social media commentator, posted that a 12-year-old Lebanese girl had exposed a Hezbollah weapons cache hidden in her school and asked Israel to strike it. The post quickly gained traction, fitting neatly into a familiar narrative about Hezbollah embedding military assets within civilian institutions.
But the truth was far less dramatic—and far more mundane.
What Actually Happened
A 13-year-old student at the Choueifat National College in the Beirut area sent a private Instagram message to Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, falsely claiming that Hezbollah was hiding weapons in her school and asking him to “bomb it” to destroy the alleged caches.
The message read: “Please, if you can help me—there is a school called Shweifat National College and inside, there are Hezbollah weapons. If you can, bomb it.”
The principal of the school, Hussein Mashik, confirmed to Lebanese media that the student—along with a friend who was in on the scheme—admitted the entire story was fabricated. Their motive? To create enough panic that the school would be evacuated or closed, allowing them to avoid upcoming exams.
“It was a bad joke,” an administrator told Arab News.
The Fallout Was Real — Even If the Story Wasn’t
Despite being a hoax, the message triggered real security consequences:
- Israeli drones were spotted flying over the Choueifat area in the days following the message, causing panic among residents and parents
- The Lebanese Army’s intelligence division searched the school thoroughly and found no weapons of any kind
- The student and her father were detained by Lebanese authorities for questioning, and an official investigation was launched
Social Media Correction: The Community Note
Following the spread of Yakoby’s original post, X’s Community Notes feature added a correction to the post, linking to multiple Lebanese and international reports confirming that the story was false—and that officials had classified it as a hoax motivated by exam avoidance.
The correction noted that the girl was 13, not 12, and that school administrators had publicly confirmed the claim was entirely fabricated.
The Aftermath: School’s Warning and IDF Response
Choueifat National College issued a strongly worded statement, warning that any student found to have harmed the school’s reputation through false statements would face prosecution and potential expulsion.
“This is a final warning,” the statement read. “Anyone proven to have been involved in an act contrary to the law will bear full responsibility for their actions, along with their parents, for the chaos caused.”
The school clarified that the information about the Instagram message did not come from the army but from someone inside the school who alerted administrators.
The IDF spokesman, Avichay Adraee, responded with surprising empathy, urging the school administration to take a “human approach” to the incident rather than harsh punishment.
“Speak to the student with empathy, not punishment,” Adraee posted on X. “Teach your students to tell the truth.”
At the same time, Adraee used the incident to make a broader point: regardless of whether this specific case was a hoax, the possibility that Hezbollah might use civilian facilities including schools to store weapons remains a legitimate concern.
Key Details at a Glance
| Aspect | Fact |
|---|---|
| Girl’s age | 13 (not 12) |
| Motivation | Avoid/exams skip school, not expose Hezbollah |
| School | Choueifat National College (ISC), Beirut area |
| Message recipient | Avichay Adraee, IDF Arabic spokesman |
| Investigation outcome | Student confessed to fabrication; no weapons found |
| Consequences | Student and father detained; legal action possible |
| School’s stance | “Final warning,” potential expulsion |
Bottom Line
What could have been a serious intelligence tip turned out to be a teenager’s poorly conceived prank. While the incident underscores real concerns about Hezbollah’s use of civilian infrastructure, this specific case was nothing more than a “childish act” designed to skip school—one that ended with the girl in police custody, her parents summoned for questioning, and her school facing a full-scale security investigation.
The Community Note on X now stands as a reminder that even the most dramatic-sounding stories sometimes have far simpler explanations.
This article is the intellectual property of Reflecto News. Redistribution without attribution is prohibited.