21-year-old photographer survives strike that killed 42-year-old colleague

Zeinab Faraj woke from unconsciousness trapped under concrete debris, struggling to breathe. She was 21 years old. The woman who had shielded her with her body during the impact was gone. Amal Khalil, 42, a newspaper reporter, died roughly an hour before medics could return to the site.

The attack occurred on 22 April, days after Israel agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. The truce followed a month of deadly airstrikes concentrated in the south. Faraj, a freelance photojournalist finishing a radio and TV degree, traveled south with Khalil to document the damage. Khalil had contacted Faraj after seeing her social media work. They had collaborated on previous assignments.

Faraj described feeling no fear before the trip. She heard gunfire and artillery but viewed them as opportunities for footage. The group included two men from Bint Jbeil: Ali Nabil Bazzi, a 27-year-old municipal official, and Mohammed Hourani, a 37-year-old friend of the mayor. The four had met at Tebnine governmental hospital, a gathering point considered relatively safe. Bazzi was returning to sign a marriage contract that evening but joined the trip anyway.

As the group neared the village of al-Tiri, a missile struck the car ahead. Faraj heard Khalil scream and saw the vehicle catch fire. She tried to pull Bazzi from the wreckage. Khalil insisted the men were dead. Faraj saw their bodies torn apart. Drones then arrived, flying low. One hovered near Faraj’s face, rising only when she tried to cover it.

Emergency services told the women help was coming. A paramedic advised them to drive up the road because ambulances were blocked. Their car was hit by a second missile as they attempted to board. Both women were thrown backward. Khalil wrapped her arms around Faraj. They took shelter in a nearby house. Khalil was bleeding from her face, hand, and leg. Faraj sent a final message to her sister: "There's no hope left. Forgive me."

The Israeli military stated it identified saboteurs violating the ceasefire. Human rights groups labeled the attack a war crime. They noted the military received repeated messages requesting permission for a rescue while the women sheltered. A week prior, an Israeli military spokesperson had shared a video of Khalil, labeling it "terrorist media." Khalil had also received death threats from Israeli phone numbers.

Faraj survived with a visibly injured hand and a facial injury affecting her eyebrow movement. She still struggles to walk properly. She wakes screaming at night. Drones and warplanes trigger anxiety. She is preparing to return to university. Whether she will resume frontline journalism remains uncertain. She remains haunted by the sight of Hourani’s open eyes.