Anger in Lebanon after Lebanese Forces official and his wife killed in Israeli raid east of Beirut

A state of popular and political anger prevailed in Lebanon following the targeting of an apartment in the Ain Saadeh area east of the capital Beirut, which resulted in the killing of the head of the Lebanese Forces center in the town of Yahchouch, Keserwan, Pierre Moawad, his wife, and another woman who was with them. This incident came after a raid carried out by the Israeli occupation army's navy, targeting a building in the Maronite Project, while Israeli army radio later admitted the failure of an assassination attempt targeting a cadre in the Iranian Quds Force at the same location.

For his part, the head of the Lebanese Forces party, Samir Geagea, clarified the circumstances of the incident, indicating that the data confirms the occupation's targeting of a Quds Force element, which led to the collapse of the old building's roof onto Moawad's home. Geagea criticized what he described as the 'deep state' that preferred silence instead of confronting the dangers threatening the lives of safe citizens in their homes, stressing that responsibility lies with the security agencies in identifying the parties that pose a threat to civil peace.

In a related context, MP Shawki Daccache considered that the feelings of anger sweeping through Lebanese Forces supporters are completely justified after the violation of the security of their homes and their transformation into military targets. Daccache stressed that the party is still awaiting official reports from the Lebanese security agencies, demanding firm measures to prevent the recurrence of such crimes that claim the lives of innocent people as a result of the presence of armed elements in densely populated residential areas.

In turn, MP Ghayath Yazbek launched a sharp attack on the 'mini-state' logic that is expanding at the expense of the state, considering that the killing of Moawad and his wife represents a collapse of the logic of protection and law in Lebanon. Yazbek called on the Lebanese army command to intensify its presence in areas that adhere to legitimacy, in order to protect them from security breaches instigated by Hezbollah fighters and Iran-linked parties, who endanger the lives of civilians without regard for the consequences.

Regarding other political stances, the Free Patriotic Movement called on Hezbollah cadres to bear moral responsibility and refrain from hiding or residing among displaced persons and civilians in safe areas. The movement called in a statement for limiting the presence of fighters to actual confrontation fronts only, in order to preserve the national fabric and prevent giving pretexts to the Israeli occupation to continue its crimes against Lebanese people not involved in the fighting.

MP Fouad Makhzoumi also called on the Prime Minister to take practical decisions instead of merely issuing slogans, calling for an immediate meeting of the Supreme Defense Council to raise security readiness to its maximum limits. Makhzoumi proposed mandatory registration of all tenants and occupants of residential apartments and subjecting empty properties to strict periodic monitoring, with penalties including imprisonment for anyone proven to be involved in renting apartments to targeted elements without official permission.

In conclusion of the reactions, the head of the Maronite League, Maroun Helou, asked about the timeframe during which civilians will remain vulnerable to death as a result of a war imposed on them, demanding the necessity of a sense of responsibility among all parties. These developments come amidst a heavy security deployment in the Ain Saadeh area, amid popular calls to expel tenants suspected of belonging to military organizations to avoid future Israeli strikes that may affect innocent people.

What happened is that the Israelis were targeting an element of the Quds Force, and a strike was directed at an old building, which led to the collapse of the roof onto the home of our comrade Pierre Moawad.