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Funeral for Lebanese Forces Official Killed in Israeli Strike Near Beirut

The deaths have intensified sectarian strain in Lebanon.

Overview

  • An Israeli strike on a residential building in Ain Saadeh east of Beirut killed Lebanese Forces local official Pierre Mouawad, his wife Flavia, and visiting friend Roula Mattar in a Sunday blast.
  • Israel said it struck a terrorist target east of Beirut and is reviewing the incident, while Lebanon’s army reported no new tenants in the hit apartment and opened an investigation.
  • Hundreds gathered Tuesday in Mouawad’s mountain hometown for a charged funeral that mixed mourning with anger over the war as gunfire, party anthems, and flags filled the churchyard.
  • Residents in the area reported expelling displaced families after the strike and local politicians urged tighter security, reflecting rising fear and rifts over who is sheltering in mixed neighborhoods.
  • The Israel–Hezbollah fighting that renewed in early March has killed more than 1,500 people and displaced over one million in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry.