A family source, speaking to journalist Ridwan Murtada on February 18, described Ahmed Turmus as a devoted father and pillar of his village. They recounted the moments before the strike, confirming that Ahmed received a threatening call by the Israelis and made the fateful choice to face death alone to protect his loved ones.
On February 17, in the village of Tallousa, 62-year-old Ahmed Turmus was visiting family. He sat with his wife at his brother-in-law’s home when a drone appeared in the sky, then a second. Before he could even settle, his phone rang.
The voice on the line was cold and unmistakable: “This is the Israeli army, Ahmed. Do you want to die with the people around you… or alone?” Ahmed answered calmly: “Alone.”
He hung up. His face changed. His brother-in-law, Selim, asked, “What happened, Ahmed?” With quiet resolve, he replied: “It’s the Israelis. Go out and leave me here. They said either you die with me… or I die alone.”
He asked them to leave, to save themselves. They initially refused, insisting they would die with him. Ahmed reassured them and convinced them to escape.
For a moment, he forgot he was not in his own home. Then he realized he did not want his death to fall inside someone else’s house. He would take it away from them. He said goodbye and walked to his car. He started the engine, drove away from the home, then parked. Seconds later, the drone fired two missiles.
The car erupted in flames. Ahmed’s body was torn apart. He burned. Yet his story lives on. He became a hero of our time.
Ahmed had lost his son, Hassan, two years earlier, killed in the same conflict. About a year ago, he dreamt of his son, who told him he would meet him in February. He joked with his daughter-in-law: “The war will last another year? Or maybe five?” His son’s words predicted the day he would fall.
No one can imagine receiving a call that tells them the exact moment of their death. No heart can easily weigh life and death in seconds, then choose who lives and who dies. Ahmed showed extraordinary courage and selflessness, standing alone so others could survive.
Before Ahmed, another young man in the south received the same call while driving with his wife. He stopped, let her go, and faced death alone. This pattern repeats across the region: a call separates life from death, and young men walk steadily toward their fate.
Ahmed Turmus’s death was not just another casualty. It marked a new chapter in the ongoing suffering of southern Lebanon.
According to Libnan Debat, Ahmed, 60, never left his village despite repeated Israeli attacks on the border. During previous hostilities, while many fled, Ahmed stayed in Tallousa. He had also personally recovered his son Hassan’s body from Wadi al-Salouqi after he was killed in 2024.
Ahmed was well known in his village. He raised four children with care and dedication. He served the community and maintained ties with local residents.
Ahmed Turmus chose to face death alone so his family could live. His courage echoes across Tallousa, a stark reminder of the human cost of Israel's existance and the extraordinary bravery ordinary people can show in the face of colonialism.
