Shock in Ain Saadeh: Couple perishes in devastating apartment strike — here is what we know

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

Amid the rubble of an apartment in the hills of Ain Saadeh, a family’s dream came to an end.

Pierre Moawad was killed along with his wife, Flavia, and their neighbor, Roula Jerji. Moawad, an employee at the Bourj Hammoud municipality, also worked in wedding processions and had been looking forward to celebrating his son’s wedding this summer. He died before that moment, leaving behind three children.

Sources described his case as unusual and raised questions about what happened that night, who was targeted, and whether there was an intended target at all.

According to security information, the building was struck by two air-dropped bombs launched from a naval warship. The same sources said the bombs were likely GBU-39 precision-guided munitions capable of penetrating multiple layers with high accuracy and identifying targets.

The two bombs fell through the roof, penetrated the fourth floor, and exploded on the third floor, leaving visible holes at the site.

The explosions occurred in Moawad’s apartment, where he was with his wife and their neighbor. The apartment is one of four units on the third floor. All three were killed. Three other people from the Sabbagha family, who were on the second floor directly below his apartment, were wounded.

The nature of the strike indicates it originated from Israel. An Israeli military spokesperson said a “terrorist target” had been attacked in the eastern Beirut area and that reports of injuries among uninvolved Lebanese civilians were being reviewed.

The incident raises questions about whether it was a miscalculation by Israel or whether the intended target was inside the building, but the operation failed to eliminate them.

Moawad’s daughter said the targeted apartment was the one opposite theirs on the western side, which, according to her account, had been visited over two days by a person they did not know.

Security cameras recorded a person leaving the building after the incident. Residents said they did not recognize him, while the mayor said he was not aware of any stranger in the building and that residents had not reported anything unusual, as is typically the case, especially during wartime.

While some information indicated that a car found in the parking area did not belong to residents, security sources said they had investigated the matter and found no link between the vehicle and the presence of a stranger in the building.

Investigations by army intelligence are ongoing, with surviving residents being questioned to establish a full picture of what happened.