Gaza photojournalist, who wished her death not be buried by time, killed in Israeli strike

Fatima Hassouna, a 25-year-old photojournalist from Gaza, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday, just days before she was to be married, bringing an end to a life marked by courageous documentation of war and personal loss. The strike, which also killed ten members of her family including her pregnant sister, came at a time when a documentary about her life was gaining international attention.

Fatima Hassouna expressed her wish that if she were to die, it should not be a quiet or unnoticed death; she wanted it to be one that the world would hear—an impactful moment that would endure through time, marked by a timeless image that could not be buried by time or place.

Hassouna had spent the past 18 months capturing the devastation wrought by war in Gaza, including the destruction of her own home and the deaths of eleven family members. Despite the constant threat of death, she remained committed to her work, becoming a prominent voice through her images and words.

Her commitment to showing the world the human cost of conflict had drawn a substantial following on social media and had inspired an Iranian filmmaker to turn her story into a documentary.

The Israeli military stated that the airstrike which killed Hassouna had targeted a Hamas member allegedly involved in attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. However, concerns have been raised that Hassouna may have been targeted for her visibility as a journalist and her participation in the documentary. Her death underscores the dangers journalists face in Gaza, which has become the deadliest conflict for members of the press in recent history, with more than 170 journalists reported killed since 2023.

Just a day before the attack, it had been announced that a documentary titled Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, directed by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, would premiere at the Cannes Acid film festival in May. The film, made up of video conversations between Farsi and Hassouna, aimed to portray life in Gaza through Hassouna’s lens and voice. The director, who lives in exile in France, had feared for Hassouna’s safety and suspected that her growing international recognition may have put her at increased risk.

Since the resumption of Israeli airstrikes following the collapse of a ceasefire with Hamas in March, civilian casualties in Gaza have surged. The Gaza health ministry has reported over 51,000 deaths since the Israeli offensive began on 7 October 2023, with more than half of the victims being women and children. At least 30 people were reported killed in airstrikes on Friday alone.

The Cannes Acid festival organisers issued a statement mourning Hassouna’s death, recognising the loss of someone whose energy and presence had deeply moved them.