I saw a drone suddenly descend towards me. My heart started pounding and I thought, ‘Is this the end of my life?’

Photographer Zeinab Faraj, 21, found herself buried under rubble beside a dying colleague while reporting in Lebanon. She had never expected to the target of an Israeli missile attack.

I saw a drone suddenly descend towards me. My heart started pounding and I thought, ‘Is this the end of my life?’

TL;DR

  • Photographer Zeinab Faraj and reporter Amal Khalil were documenting the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon when they were attacked.
  • The attack occurred on April 22nd, involving missiles and drones, and resulted in the deaths of Ali Nabil Bazzi and Mohammed Hourani, who were in a car ahead of Faraj and Khalil.
  • Faraj and Khalil sought shelter in a house after their car was also struck, and Khalil was severely injured.
  • Faraj was subsequently buried under rubble and rescued by paramedics, while Khalil is believed to have died shortly after.
  • The Israeli military claimed to have identified saboteurs violating the ceasefire, but human rights groups called the attack a war crime.
  • Faraj suffers from physical injuries and psychological trauma, including nightmares and fear of drones and warplanes, impacting her ability to return to frontline journalism.