Lebanese mother seeks justice after Israeli air strike kills family

In one afternoon, Amani Bazzi went from being a doting mother-of-four to a widow grieving three young children.

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An Israeli strike in south Lebanon killed them as the family was returning home after having lunch with her parents.

"Our whole life was our kids. We did everything together," said Bazzi from the Beirut hospital where her eldest daughter Aseel, 13, is being treated for devastating head-to-toe wounds.

"Why should they have been part of this horrific scene?" asked 33-year-old Bazzi. "Why did this happen to us?"

Despite the enormous challenges they face to rebuild their shattered lives, both she and Aseel said they were determined to fight for accountability. "We will carry on until the end... to reach the international community" and global courts "to get justice for Chadi, Hadi, Cylan and Celine," Bazzi said.

Aseel, her voice soft but her gaze firm despite her injuries, said: "When I get out (of hospital) and stand on my feet, the first thing I want to do is get justice for them. "They were wronged, they were innocent. This shouldn't have happened to them."

A ceasefire that came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024 was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war between Israel and Hizbollah.