Julia Ramadan was terrified - as the war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated, she had a nightmare about her family home being bombed. After sending a panicked voice note to her brother in Beirut, he urged her to join him in Ain El Delb, a quiet village in southern Lebanon.
"It's safe here," he reassured her. "Come stay with us until things calm down."
In the preceding month, Israel had escalated air campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon in response to rocket attacks by the Iran-backed group that killed civilians and displaced tens of thousands in northern Israel.
Confident that their family's apartment block would be secure, Julia sought refuge with her brother. However, tragedy struck the following day, on September 29, when the building was hit by Israeli missiles, causing it to collapse and resulting in the death of 73 people.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed to have targeted the building as a Hezbollah "terrorist command center" and eliminated a commander. Despite this, a BBC investigation revealed that most of the victims were civilians, including 23 children.
Among the deceased were infants like Nouh Kobeissi and school teacher Abeer Hallak, along with her family. As the siblings tried to survive, Julia's worst fears were realized as the building crumbled around them.
After hours of anguish and uncertainty, Ashraf was rescued with minor injuries. Tragically, Julia had suffocated under the rubble, and their mother had also perished.
As a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hezbollah, investigations continued into the deadliest single Israeli attack in Lebanon. The aftermath revealed heart-wrenching stories of loss and survival in Ain El Delb.
The devastating toll of the conflict was exemplified by the experiences of survivors like Batoul and Hisham, who lost loved ones in the attack. The absence of timely warnings from IDF before strikes had been a recurrent theme leading to significant civilian casualties.
The lingering trauma in Ain El Delb was palpable, with families still searching for closure and survivors grappling with the aftermath. Ashraf, returning to the ruins, reflected on the memories lost and the irreplaceable void left by the tragedy.