Two Journalists Struck in Lebanon

A 21-year-old photojournalist survived a missile strike in southern Lebanon that killed her 42-year-old colleague.

The attack occurred on April 22, 2026, during a ceasefire period that began in mid-April after a month of intense airstrikes.

Zeinab Faraj and Amal Khalil traveled to the village of al-Tiri to document the aftermath of the war. They were accompanied by Ali Nabil Bazzi, a 27-year-old municipal official, and Mohammed Hourani, 37, a friend of the mayor. The group had met earlier that day at Tebnine governmental hospital. Bazzi was scheduled to sign a marriage contract that evening.

Faraj heard a scream from Khalil before seeing the car ahead of them catch fire. The two women exited their vehicle to assess the damage. They observed the bodies of the two men in the front car, which Faraj described as being torn apart.

Drones then appeared and flew low over the scene. Faraj reported that one drone came very close to her face. She attempted to cover her face, but the drone flew back up. Emergency services told them help was on the way. A paramedic on the phone instructed them to get into their car and drive back up the road because ambulances could not reach the location.

As they tried to enter the vehicle, a missile struck the car. Both women were thrown backward. Khalil wrapped her arms around Faraj. They moved to a nearby house to take shelter. Khalil had visible injuries to her face, hand, and leg. Faraj sent a message to her sister stating, "There’s no hope left. Forgive me." Her phone battery then died.

The two women sat on a bathroom floor. Khalil was unable to move. Faraj crawled to a position where she could watch the road. A drone descended toward her, causing her to retreat inside. A second missile then struck the building. Faraj lost consciousness and woke up trapped under rubble with an enormous weight pressing down on her body.

A paramedic reached the scene and held Faraj by the shoulders until a second paramedic cleared the rubble. They pulled her free as a drone dropped a stun grenade nearby. The ambulance team drove away to a hospital. Faraj asked about Khalil’s condition. The nurses initially reassured her, then fell silent. Khalil is believed to have died about an hour before the paramedics were allowed to return to the area.

The Israeli military stated that they identified saboteurs violating the ceasefire. Human rights groups called the incident a war crime. The Israeli military received repeated messages urging them to allow a rescue operation while the women took refuge in the building. A week before the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson shared a video of Khalil and described it as "terrorist media." Khalil had also received death threats from Israeli numbers.

Faraj is now preparing to return to university. She suffers from a limp and has visible injuries to her hand. An injury to her face affects the movement of one eyebrow. She wakes at night screaming and buries herself in her pillows. The sound of drones puts her on edge. She remains haunted by the image of Hourani lying on the ground with his eyes open.