Tal Golan, 25, from Kfar Vitkin and a student, joined the ground operations in Lebanon with the IDF 98th Division, equipped with more than just military gear—he brought along his trusty DSLR camera.
After weeks of capturing special moments in Gaza with his team, he turned his lens to the northern front. "I photograph because I feel every moment here or in Gaza is special and historic," he shared. Check out the photos he captured from Lebanon.
Golan focuses primarily on documenting his team. "They're all reservists with families, wives and children who worry about them daily, not knowing what it's like inside," he explained. "Photos give them perspective and reduce uncertainty. My friends can also explain to them through the images, providing comfort and a sense of pride."
Golan is well aware of what he can and cannot snap, with most of his images capturing everyday moments like a smoke break, a brief rest in a Hezbollah member's living room, a soldier on guard duty and even operational scenes in full combat gear in the field, during watches and preparing to demolish a building with explosives.
One of Golan's standout photos shows a soldier standing before a library of holy books, reminiscent of libraries found in religious homes across Israel. "These are indeed books sacred to Muslims," Golan explained. "We have a Druze soldier in our platoon who looked at them and explained what they were—various interpretations and expansions of the Quran. Almost every house we entered had such a set."
Another striking photo captures a soldier in the early morning hours standing in front of building ruins. "This is my favorite photo from this session, from the first week in Lebanon," Golan shared. "The composition is excellent, the natural lighting is beautiful and it provides a perspective of the lone person against the vastness of the ruins. It gives insight into what war is, how it looks from the inside and what we are up against."
"I love capturing beautiful and funny moments, like playing backgammon, but also these situations," he added. "Moments of destruction because their tunnels and weapons storage sites are being blown up."
Golan also captured a photo on October 7 showing soldiers wrapped in prayer shawls and praying at dawn. "I'm completely secular, but I can say that this symbolism holds a lot of power," he said. "I felt it when we celebrated Hanukkah in Gaza and lit candles. There's an understanding of who we are and what we represent. These moments are very moving. Even on October 7, I felt it, understanding what we are fighting for and why we are here."
While Golan was with his team on the northern border, Iran struck Israel with more than 180 ballistic missiles. He seized the opportunity, pulled out his camera and documented the event. "It was a display that looked like Star Wars. We heard on the radio about the attack and alarms sounded across the country, except where we were. I managed to capture a few moments of this audiovisual show in the sky," he recounted.
Golan added that the photos take on a different feel over time. "Time does its thing. Even now, when I look at the photos from Gaza, they seem incredible. Amazing or bizarre situations and the fact that I went through it all with my team. This documentation is important for understanding the situation, but it's not so we won't forget. The mind can't forget what is seen there, especially not the important things, mainly the insights," he concluded.
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