The war had ended. The danger had not.
Mohammad Ali Ibrahim Assaad, a Lebanese child from the southern town of Habboush, was killed after a cluster munition left behind by the war exploded.
Photos of Mohammad shared after his death show him on a very different day: dressed in his graduation gown and cap, smiling at the camera. Across his chest, a yellow sash carries a simple word: “تفوقت” — “I excelled.”
It is an image of a child at the beginning of his life — celebrating an achievement, surrounded by the things children should be surrounded by: school, family, dreams and a future.
Instead, Mohammad became another victim of unexploded ordnance left behind in Lebanon.
Cluster munitions are particularly dangerous because some of their smaller submunitions can fail to explode on impact, remaining on the ground and posing a threat to civilians long after the fighting has stopped.
For families in southern Lebanon, this means war does not necessarily end when the bombing stops. Its remnants can remain in fields, neighborhoods and places where children live and play.
Mohammad should have had years ahead of him to earn more certificates, celebrate more achievements and decide for himself what his future would become.
Instead, what remains is his graduation photograph — and his name.
Mohammad Ali Ibrahim Assaad.
Reporting note: The family confirmed Mohammad’s story directly to Alex Jørgensen.
Featured image: Mohammad Ali Ibrahim Assaad celebrating his graduation. Photo shared by and credited to the Assaad family.
Background sources: International Committee of the Red Cross: Cluster munitions · United Nations Mine Action Service: Lebanon