In mid-April, after a month of deadly airstrikes across Lebanon, Israel agreed to a ceasefire. Much of the bombing had focused on southern Lebanon, where entire villages had been destroyed. But with the truce, people were hopeful they could return home or see what remained.
Zeinab Faraj, a 21-year-old photojournalist, decided to join Amal Khalil, a 42-year-old newspaper reporter in Lebanon, on a trip to the south to document the aftermath of the war. The two had worked together on several assignments after Khalil saw Faraj’s work on social media and contacted her.
“I expected it to be like every other time. Amal and I would go out, take some footage and then leave. I had absolutely no sense of fear. We could hear some gunfire and artillery, but as a videographer, you find those things important to document and capture,” says Faraj, who was freelancing while finishing her degree in radio and TV.
By the time they reached the village of al-Tiri on the afternoon of 22 April, Faraj began looking out the window and reminiscing. She was born and grew up in the nearby city of Bint Jbeil. “My whole life revolved around this area. As we say, a fish suffocates when it’s taken out of water. That’s how we feel whenever we leave Bint Jbeil.”
Ahead of them was a car carrying Ali Nabil Bazzi, 27, a municipal official in Bint Jbeil, and Mohammed Hourani, 37, a friend of the mayor. They had met them by chance earlier that day at Tebnine governmental hospital, which had become a gathering point because people considered it relatively safe and would base their movements from there. Bazzi was due to sign a marriage contract that evening but was still keen to join the trip.
Faraj says she did not hear the missile coming, only the sound of Khalil screaming and then the sight of the car in front of them on fire. The two women got out of their car.
“I do not know how I managed to stay so calm. The only thing I could think was: if I come closer, I will be able to see Ali. Maybe I will be able to pull him out.”
Khalil kept repeating: “Oh God, they’re gone.” Slowly, Faraj began to understand what was happening. “I could see their bodies torn apart.”
Then the drones appeared.
“When the drones came, my heart started pounding in a terrifying way. The drone started coming very close to my face. I tried to cover my face, but whenever I did, it would fly back up. That was when I really felt the real danger.”
The drones flew low and close as Khalil and Faraj frantically called emergency services, who repeatedly assured them that help was on its way. Faraj says the assurances were “like an anaesthetic,” something that briefly numbed the reality that no one was rescuing them.
One of the paramedics on a call told them to get into their car and try to drive back up the road, as ambulances were being prevented from reaching where they were. But as they tried to get into the car, it was struck by a missile.
Both of them were thrown backwards, with Khalil wrapping her arms around Faraj. As the drone continued to circle overhead, Khalil said she hoped it would “think we were dead.”
With the nearby car engulfed in flames, they decided to take shelter in a nearby house. Khalil had visible injuries, with blood on her face, hand and leg. Faraj says she sent her sister a last message before her phone died: “There’s no hope left. Forgive me.”Faraj was pulled out of the rubble after the attack. Inside, they sat on a bathroom floor. Khalil couldn’t move, so Faraj says she crawled to a spot where she could watch the road. Suddenly a drone descended towards her. “It had been high up and suddenly it came down. The way it descended was terrifying. My heart stopped.” Soon after, Faraj says she went back inside and began to feel tired and detached from what was happening. “I felt alone.”
Then came the sound of a missile falling. “I’ve never heard anything like it in my life. I’ve heard so many strikes and drones, but this was completely different. It was terrifying and Amal was screaming,” she says.
She doesn’t remember what happened next, but when she opened her eyes an enormous weight was pressing down on her body. Everything was black and she could barely breathe. She was trapped underneath rubble. “I couldn’t bear the weight. It felt like something was pushing me down, crushing me. All I cared about was being able to breathe.”
Faraj says she then heard a voice and thought it was her father, but it was a paramedic who had managed to reach the scene of the attack. As he held her by the shoulders, Faraj says she instinctively clung to him and refused to let go. “I told him: ‘Don’t leave me. I’m afraid to stay alone.'” He stayed beside her while a second paramedic cleared the rubble.
As the sound of drones returned once more, the paramedics quickly pulled Faraj free as she screamed from the pain. At about the same time, Faraj says she heard a stun grenade dropped by the drone. As they drove away in the ambulance, she repeatedly mistook the sound of the vehicle for a drone. “They’re going to hit us. We’re not going to make it,” she says she kept repeating.
After they got to a hospital, Faraj says she started to ask about Khalil. At first the nurses tried to reassure her. But eventually, she says, they fell silent. “That’s when I knew she was gone.” Khalil is believed to have died about an hour before the paramedics had been allowed to return to the area again after rescuing Faraj.
The Israeli military justified their attack saying they had identified saboteurs violating the ceasefire. However, human rights groups called it a war crime. As Khalil and Faraj took refuge in the building the Israeli military received repeated messages urging them to allow a rescue operation. A week before the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson shared a video of Khalil published by her newspaper and described it as “terrorist media”. Khalil had also received death threats from Israeli numbers.
Today, as Faraj prepares to return to university, she still struggles to walk properly and has visible injuries to a hand. An injury to her face has affected the movement of one eyebrow; others are hidden by her clothes and hijab. Her limp is especially hard to bear. “I was always on the move. I lost that. Even climbing stairs can be hard,” she says.
At first she was in shock, she says, but now more symptoms are starting to appear. She wakes at night screaming and buries herself in the pillows as if a missile is going to strike. The sound of drones and warplanes put her on edge.
Returning to frontline journalism feels uncertain and she says she is repeatedly haunted by the image of Hourani lying on the ground after the first missile attack. “His head was turned towards me. His eyes open and looking at me. That is something I will never get out of my head.”
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs A Drone Suddenly Swooped Down Toward Me
Beginner Questions
1 What just happened Did a drone really dive at me
Probably yes Drones can descend quickly and if one came straight toward you it likely felt like an attack It may have been a reckless flyer a drone losing control or one following a programmed flight path
2 Was I actually in danger
Most likely not seriously Consumer drones are small and light and their spinning rotors can cause cuts but rarely lifethreatening injuries Still a drone hitting you at speed can hurt so your fear was reasonable
3 Why did the drone come toward me
Common reasons the pilot was flying recklessly or couldnt see you the drone lost signal and was returning to its home point or it was following a preset route Sometimes drones mistake people for obstacles and fly unpredictably
4 What should I do if a drone swoops at me again
Stay calm protect your head and face with your arms and move away from the area Dont try to grab or hit the droneyou could get cut Once youre safe note the drones location and appearance
5 Is it legal for a drone to fly close to people
In most places no Rules vary by country but many require drones to keep a safe distance from people who arent involved in the flight Flying directly at someone is usually a violation
6 What is a drone exactly
A drone is a small aircraft flown remotely or by onboard software Most consumer drones have four rotors and a camera
Intermediate Questions
7 How can I tell if a drone is being flown recklessly
Signs include flying low over crowds diving at people hovering near windows or flying fast in residential areas If you see this its worth reporting
8 Who do I report a dangerous drone to
Report it to local police or your countrys aviation authority Give the time location and description of the drone If you feel threatened call emergency services
9 Could the drone have been recording me
Possibly Most consumer drones have cameras If youre worried about privacy
