Portraits of survivors of Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah last year

Bazourieh, Lebanon (AP) – on 17 September 2024, Thousands of calls distribution Hezbollah The group exploded in Lebanon, remotely Exploded by Israel And the Iranian -backed group aimed to break it because it fired almost every day in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

The environment attack wounded more than 3,000 people and killed 12 people, including two children. Hezbollah admitted that he was among his staff, including most warriors, as well as politicians, religious leaders and service providers.

He proud of Israeli talents. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented US President Donald Trump as a gift.

Human Rights Groups called the attack by saying that it forbids the use of BUBI traps of international law. Israeli security officials rejected this claim and rejected the callers that they were sold only to Hezbollah members.

After 10 months, the survivors can be easily identified, faces, with missing eyes, faces with scars, hands with missing fingers.

During the weeks after the attack, Associated Press tried to reach the survivors in a strictly connected community. The AP also contacted Hezbollah and the association that treats the affected. The representative of the association shared the contacts of eight people who stated that they were ready to speak.

The AP reached out independently. Six people agreed to interview. They spoke without Hezbollah representative – they rarely look at the human cost of the attack.

Sarah Jaffal

With his head cold, he was heavy, Jaffal woke up late and got involved in the kitchen. The silence of the apartment was drilled with a foreign buzz of a call device lying next to a table.

Uncomfortable but curious, a 21 -year -old Hezbollah member of the device of his relative. He saw a message: “Error”, then “Press OK.”

“Suddenly everything was dark, Jaff Jaffal said. He was in and out of consciousness for hours, blood flow from his mouth.

He had 45 surgery. More will come, including reconstructive surgery on the face and fingers. Two fingers are fused. Four is missing. The prosthesis is waiting for the right eye. Physiotherapy reminds him of how much it is.

He leans on the belief in calling patience.

“God is loading us with what we can carry,” he said.

Zeinab Mestrah

Simultaneous explosions spread Chaos and panic in Lebanon. Hospitals were overwhelmed.

Mestrah, who received the call device of a relative and the Hezbollah member, was like “slaughterhouse .. “People did not know each other. Families were shouting the names of their relatives to describe them.”

His right eye was rescued, shrapnel was removed. The first thing he saw after the 10 -day darkness was his mother.

He lost the ends of three fingers in his right hand. His ears are still playing today.

Mestrah, a 26 -year -old event planner, said that his healing delayed a new career plans. But he is looking forward to his wedding, eight -year -old fiancée.

“It’s half of my recovery,” he said.

Mahdi Sheri

23 -year -old Hezbollah warrior Sheri, on the day of the attack ordered the front. He spent time with your family before leaving.

His surroundings usually trembled. This time he made a beep sound. Hezbollah approached to control the warnings or directives. Then he felt a sharp pain.

It was first treated in Syria and then in Iraq. Shrapnel was removed from the left eye socket and the prosthetic eye was attached.

Now Hezbollah helps him find a new job. He asked if he wanted to continue his fiancée. Refused. In Iraq, they got married during a video meeting.

Some children are now afraid to come to their father, he said: “Not only us, but also the people around us.”

Hüseyin Dheini

In Southern Lebanon, 12 -year -old Dheini received a call device of his father, a member of Hezbollah. “When I usually rang (the call device), I give it to my father, but it was a strange ring,” the child said.

Dheini lost his right eye. His teeth exploded. His grandmother took them out of the couch.

“This was a nightmare,” his mother said Faten Haidar.

The child, the Group’s Youth Movement Hezbollah scouts, was talented while reading the Qur’an. Now he’s fighting to keep up with his breath. The family moved to the ground floor to climb less stairs.

Pink scars cross your face. He spends more time with other children who are injured like him.

Im I used to go to school, ”the boy said. “Now I’m going to Beirut”.

Mustafa Choeib

After reading the 35 -year -old preacher, he wore his glasses and drew some shrapnels from the explosion. Nevertheless, he was blind and lost three fingers.

Now he remembers how his two young daughters – 4 -year -old Mariam and 3 -year -old Fatima – Call device. Sometimes he found it among his toys. It was not clear why it was one. Hezbollah officials said that the calls are not only in the hands of warriors, but also with group managers. Choeib gave religious lessons to Hezbollah members.

Shiite continued to work as a teacher at a religious school. But it stays on the edge. The car has almost the same alarm with the call device before the explosion – a regular reminder of the attack.

Sometimes he’s worried that his mobile phone will explode.

Orum I don’t want to lose my ears after I lost my eyes, ”he joked.

Ali Abbas

The 12 -year -old boy received the call of his father, one of Hezbollah’s staff. At first, his family thought that the television exploded.

The medical officials spit his blood by filling his mouth after the explosion, so he wouldn’t drown. While having intensive care, relatives found fingers and left eye.

The family was displaced after the explosion. When the child returned to his newly rented apartments, the host saw him, panicked and asked them to leave, and he was afraid that Israel would target them again. In the next rental places, the child was kept out of sight.

After 10 surgery, Abbas was able to re -join his friends in Hezbollah’s scouts. They examined their injuries.

“My friends got used to me,” he said. Tair is waiting for more surgery.

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This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.