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Eyewitness Reveals How Family of Four Died During Israeli Strike in Southern Lebanon

Samir Ayoub, a Russian-Lebanese journalist, lost four of his family members - younger sister Samira (60) and her granddaughters Rimas (14), Talin (12) and Lian (10) - during an Israeli drone strike on the village of Aitarun near the Lebanese-Israeli border. The tragedy occurred right before his eyes.
Sputnik
Samir highlighted that he did not expect that an Israeli drone would attack the civilians who "have nothing to do with the military." That tragic day, his sister Samira, her daughter Huda, and granddaughters Rimas, Talin, and Lian were packing their things and moving to Beirut, while schools were closed near the Israeli border, and asked Samir for help.

"We, who live near the border, already know that the drone sees everyone and everything that is on earth, even animals. Therefore, I asked the children to play near the car. I thought they would see the children and definitely not touch us. The youngest of the girls even jumped on the hood of the car. Therefore, I am absolutely sure they saw that only children and women got into the car," he added.

Samira Ayoub with her daughter Huda, granddaughters Rimas, Talin and Lian; her elder brother Samir Ayoub with his son before the tragedy
Then, when the family started driving to Beirut, the tragedy suddenly occured. Samir Ayoub described the moment:

"We left Aitarun for Beirut in two cars. I was driving in front. Suddenly, I heard a sound as if pyrotechnics had gone off. The car received a direct hit, and it burned to the ground. My sister was sitting in the passenger seat, she died on the spot. The girls, my niece's daughters, were burned alive in the back seat. Only my niece survived - she was driving."

According to him, Huda, mother of the murdered girls and his niece, is still in hospital with serious injuries, but her life is not in danger now. She remembers what happened to her car that day.
Huda with her little daughters Rimas, Talin and Lian

"Huda remembers the tragedy every day. Although she is recovering physically, it is extremely difficult for her mentally. We all try to support her as best we can. Her husband also holds on despite such a terrible loss. He and I constantly come to the hospital to visit her," Samir noted.

A spontaneous memorial at the Ayoub family house in Aitarun
Samir wants to remember the murdered girls as "wonderful children," who had their own dreams about the future. He revealed:
"The eldest, Rimas, was 14, she wanted to become a doctor. The middle one, Talin, was 12 and dreamed of becoming a designer. The youngest, Lian, was 10, and she dreamed of becoming an artist. But, alas, due to the actions of the Israeli army, their dreams will no longer be able to come true."
The Lebanese government condemned the actions of the Israeli military and filed a formal complaint to the UN for committing a war crime.
"The Israelis reported they had eliminated three terrorists in the south of Lebanon. But what kind of terrorists? These were my sister, a pensioner, and her schoolgirl granddaughters. All we want now is truth and justice," he concluded.
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