Majdal Shams, Golan Heights - Recent

Parents are still left desperate months after a rocket attack claimed their children's lives at a football pitch in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.

The rocket attack struck the football pitch on July 27, 2024, killing 12 children and teenagers from the Druze community and wounding at least 42 other people.

While the Israeli military and Hezbollah blame each other for the attack, the families of the victims are grappling with the heartbreaking loss of their children, whose lives were cut tragically short.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have escalated since Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the previous day.

Shotlist:
Majdal Shams, Golan Heights - Recent:
1. Scooters, bicycles, motorbike for kids lying in mess;
2. Various of garlands for mourning dead;
3. Adham Safadi, father of victim Finis, mourning;
4. Pictures of victims;
5. Adham Safadi;
6. Garlands;
7. Adham Safadi leaving scene;
8. Picture of Finis;
9. Destroyed bicycles;
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Adham Safadi, father of victim Finis (starting with shots 6-9)
"It was 18:18 on July 27, 2024. My daughter was playing football when the attack happened. It's heartbreaking and tragic. The whole of the Golan Heights has fallen silent. That day, I felt my heart had been swallowed by darkness. I've been living in darkness ever since. We continue to mourn this black day in Majdal Shams.";
11. Football pinch;
12. Football;
13. Adham Safadi walking towards football coach, shaking hands;
14. Various of football team members;
15. Adham Safadi talking, walking
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Adham Safadi, father of victim Finis (overlaid with shots 12-15):
"We are peace seekers. At no point have we ever supported war or incited attacks in the Middle East to avenge our children's death. We're peace scholars. We want all children in the world to live in peace, especially in the Middle East where we hear so much about revenge and retribution. We're peaceful people, the children of the Golan Heights. We were born in peace and will die in peace. Everyone has the right to live in freedom, security, and peace. In all honesty, we implore anyone with the power to stop this hideous conflict.";
16. Pictures, followers;
17. Photo of Alma, one of victims;
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Nailah Fakhr Al-Din, mother of Alma (starting with shot 17):
"Alma was a very strong girl, confident about herself. She was a natural leader, a smart girl, a talented girl, a very, very kind girl.";
19. Alma's mother sinking in sorrow;
20. Family photo;
21. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Fakhr Al-Din, father of Alma (starting with shot 20/ending with shots 22-24):
"The day the incident happened was a Saturday, around 18:18. We live five to seven minutes away from the scene, so when I heard the explosion, I rushed to the football pitch. I instinctively knew that Rayan and Elian, her brothers, were there. To the right of the entrance, I saw four bodies. One of them was Alma.";
22. Alma's painting works;
23. Photo of Alma with brothers;
24. Alma's mother, father sinking in sorrow;
25. Photos of Alma;
26. Alma's books;
27. Various of traffic, building;
28. Various of destroyed buildings;
29. Various of residents walking
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ayman Fakhr Al-Din, father of Alma (overlaid with shots 27-29):
"After 10 months of war, children have come to accept the sound of rockets as part of their daily lives, like Fairuz's (a Lebanese singer) music, and the sound of shelling every day, or day after day.";
30. Traffic.

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