Universities in Lebanon and Israel are hunkering down amid the sudden escalation in fighting this past week that has exposed them to attack, intentional or inadvertent, from Hezbollah or Israeli forces. So far, however, there have been no reports of damage or injuries on the campuses.

The American University of Beirut has posted a message on its Web site saying that the campus is still open and plans to continue its summer programs, although it is encouraging students who live off campus to move into on-campus dormitories.

The Lebanese American University, a Beirut institution that like the American University was founded in the 19th century by American missionaries, also remains open, according to its Web site. Foreign students and faculty members have been moved to the university’s campus in Byblos, on the country’s northern coast.

The U.S. State and Defense Departments are considering ways to evacuate American citizens, including students and faculty members, who have been stranded in Lebanon by the fighting, the Tallahassee Democrat reported today.

Meanwhile, in Israel, the University of Haifa has posted a notice on its Hebrew-language Web site announcing that it has halted all activities and canceled examinations until further notice. The message instructs faculty members and students not to come to the campus, which is located on top of Mount Carmel. Its central building is a high-rise that makes a perfect missile target. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, also located in Haifa, has posted a similar notice.