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Days before capturing this dramatic image, AP photographer Leo Correa began hearing rumors signaling the onset of an Israeli offensive in Lebanon. On September 30, those rumors were confirmed when Israel began shelling the country’s border with Lebanon, a sequence of attacks that would soon escalate into a larger conflict.
Driven by the need to document this significant moment, Correa traveled to the Golan Heights, seeking a vantage point from which he might catch a glimpse of the unfolding violence. “I went there to have at least a glimpse of what was happening,” he recalls. “Maybe it would be possible to see the Israeli shelling at the Lebanese villages located near the border.” From his position, even at a distance, Correa could see the flashes from the explosions and hear the distant sounds of artillery fire.
Equipped with a long zoom lens, Correa set his camera to a 30-second exposure, capturing the scene in a way that emphasized the scale and intensity of the bombardment. The image shows a fiery blaze to the right, with bright trails of light marking the shelling directed at southern Lebanon. “It was one of those kinds of moments when it doesn’t matter the distance—we still need to find ways to keep documenting the history,” Correa reflects. The photograph not only serves as a record of a military operation, but also as a testament to the unwavering commitment of photographers like Correa, who continue to document the course of history, no matter the challenges or obstacles they face.
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