‘Hezbollah hid weapons in my school’ - Lebanese pupil writes IDF Arabic spokesman in apparent attempt to avoid exams

A schoolgirl’s apparent effort to avoid exams caused an uproar in Lebanon when she involved the IDF in an attempt to close her school.

The pupil in question, a 13-year-old girl at the Choueifat National College, wrote to IDF Arabic spokesman, Col. Avichay Adraee, via Instagram, asking him to bomb her school, claiming that Hezbollah had infiltrated the building and was storing weapons there. 

According to reports in Lebanese media, the girl’s message, apparently sent with the intention of creating panic that would lead to the closure of the educational institution on the day were to be held, was initially taken seriously by the Israeli side. Local residents reported seeing Israeli drones above the school for the two days after the message was sent. 

The move prompted the school’s administration to get involved, writing a letter warning of potential legal consequences for “any student found to be involved in harming or defaming the school through any action or statement that violates the law and regulations, whether in person or on social media.” 

The school principal, Hussein Meshik, told local media the claim was completely false. He further said that the student and a friend admitted to carrying out the action as a joke to disrupt the school routine. School administration notified the police, who detained the student and her parents for questioning, Lebanese media reported. 

The story prompted Adraee to address the issue on his own social media account, in which he took the opportunity to say the stunt demonstrated how the Lebanese public has come to believe that Hezbollah does hide weapons in schools, and that the IDF can be trusted to take action. 

“I saw this post circulating that stirred up a fuss in Lebanon, and I read carefully between the lines and its implications,” Col. Adraee wrote. “The spread of such messages carries deep connotations that we must pause to consider.” 

رأيت هذا المنشور المتداول الذي أحدث بلبلة في لبنان، وقرأت جيدًا ما وراء السطور وتداعياته. إن انتشار مثل هذه الرسائل يحمل في طياته دلالات عميقة لا بد من الوقوف عندها:
​🔸أولاً، يبدو أن هناك فكرة تترسخ في لبنان، مفادها أن لكل مشكلة مهما كبرت أو صغرت، يوجد حلها لدى جيش الدفاع ولدى… pic.twitter.com/2gxTeIl7iW

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) April 28, 2026

“First, it seems there's an idea taking root in Lebanon, suggesting that for every problem, no matter how big or small, the solution lies with the Israel Defense Forces and with ‘Avichay,'" he continued. 

“Second, there's a conviction among the public, and even among children, that even if this post is just a ‘joke’ or ‘game,’ the hypothesis of weapons belonging to the terrorist organization Hezbollah existing inside schools and civilian facilities is not something to dismiss—it's a reality everyone recognizes,” Adraee continued. 

Asking the school administration not to punish the student, Adraee encouraged them to “Teach your students to always speak the truth.” 

He also encouraged youth and children to report any Hezbollah “violations” to the relevant Lebanese authorities. 

“To the youth and children, I say, ‘Yes, speak the truth and be bold in raising it, but report to your parents and the relevant authorities about any danger or matter that disturbs you... or about Hezbollah's violations against you, against your future, and against your lives.” 

In his role as the IDF Arabic Spokesman, Col. Adraee gained a lot of attention on Arabic social media channels throughout the Gaza War and the Iran conflicts. While many accounts have attacked Adraee as the bearer of bad news, often announcing evacuation warnings, others held him up as being a voice speaking the truth about the situation in Lebanon, where Hezbollah functions as a state within a state.