Treasured and admired, the photojournalist Fatima Hassouna was known to Gaza a lot for her creativity, her talent and, more recently, her documentation of the War of Israel against Gaza.
“Fatima dreamed of traveling and seeing the world,” said his cousin, Salma Al-Suwairki, at Middle East Eye.
“She told me that she saves the money she earned from her work so that she and her family can travel after the war so that they can all come together to play the Omra.”
However, the 25 -year -old man, like many in the besieged enclave, would not live to capture another moment of war.
Early Wednesday morning, Hassouna was killed by an Israeli strike that targeted his family home in Gaza City.
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“The news of her martyrdom was a huge shock for everyone. We were very sad for her because Fatima deserved to live a good life and did not deserve this end,” added Suwairki, 34. “Fatima deserved to live a better life than that.”
The photographer was killed during the attack alongside six other brothers and sisters. His parents were injured, but survived.
His father ignores the death of his children: he remains in critical condition after the attack.
Hassouna’s mother, however, is aware that Suwairki says that she is unable to understand her loss.
“Her mother has undergone a minor injury, but she is now in shock and is only thinking and talking about Fatima,” added Suwairki.
Hassouna was killed one day after the documentary of the French director of Iranan, Sepideh Farsi, Put your soul on your hand and walkIn which it is strongly presented, it was announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
Palestinian photographer Fatima Hassouna was killed, as well as nine family members, in an Israeli air strike who targeted their house in Gaza on Wednesday.
Hassouna, who had acquired international recognition for her photojournalism documenting the impact of Israel … pic.twitter.com/y0fej60emh
– Eye du Middle East (@middleasteye) April 17, 2025
Like all Gaza Palestinians, Hassouna had endured 18 months of horror. She had already lost several family members in Israeli attacks, who have killed more than 51,000 Palestinians since October 2023. However, she was also enthusiastic about her commitment with her Fiancé Aziz and the upcoming marriage.
Hassouna’s 18 -year -old brother Jihad, who lives in Egypt alongside another 22 -year -old brother suffering from quadriplegia, told me that he had called his family around midnight shortly before the attack.
“We were happy because the health of my brother Mujahid improved, and Fatoum (his nickname) told us what to get it, gifts and containers, on the occasion of his approaching marriage,” he said.
Two hours after the call, Jihad saw news of bombing in their district of Al-Tuffah, in the east of Gaza City. He tried to contact his family, but his calls did not make.
Later, his uncle told him that his family’s house on the second floor of a five -story building had been completely destroyed, six of his brothers and sisters died and that many other parents and neighbors were seriously injured.
Jihad told me that Hassouna had predicted his death two weeks earlier, when the neighboring Dar al-Arqam school was attacked.
“She was crying during the call and told me to take care of my brother and myself, and that she had the impression that she and her family in Gaza were going to die because of the constant bombing and the danger that exists everywhere,” he said.
Jihad described Hassouna as “ambitious and passionate”.
“She had great dreams. She wanted to travel and participate in international photography exhibitions. She was very interested in photography,” he recalls, adding that she encouraged her to improve her own photographic skills.
“She was my closest friend and would bring me everything I wanted. She helped us with household expenses and sent me money in Egypt. She supported me all the time. I am devastated and I can’t even imagine that Fatima and my other brothers and sisters left and will never come back.”
Hassouna described her work as a kind of resistance against the War of Israel, loading her camera with memory cards as if she placed bullets in a firearm. Her camera, she said in a recent interview, was her rifle.
“It changes the world and defends me … I can document people’s stories, so that my family stories do not disappear in the slim,” she said.
“It is not really a question of knowing if the world sees it. What matters to me, that’s what I do and how long the impact of my work will be. This work will live forever? I strive that my photos are eternal.”
The War of Israel against Gaza, which has killed more than 200 Palestinian journalists since October 7, 2023, was the “worst conflict” for journalists, according to a report by Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
A love of life
Hanin Salem, the friend and colleague of Hassouna, met the photographer when they both worked for a platform called “Untold Palestine”, which seeks to portray humanity and daily life of Palestine.
“The beginning of my knowledge with Fatima was more a friendship than a job,” she recalls.
A writer and photographer of Gaza City, Salem discovered that they had a shared passion to capture their love for life.
“We were very similar in our style of photography, thanks to our love to show the good life that we both love in Gaza. We both love life and hope, so whenever we came out, we tried to show the beauty of life in Gaza,” she said.
French journalists stage to protest journalists from Israel against Israel in Gaza against Israel
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Salem, 27, described her friend as “very generous”, “a self -taught fighter” and said that she was determined to help her family.
“She has a very sweet spirit and loves life very much. Fatima has a positive energy that affects everyone around her. Fatima would never say that she was tired or complained about life, despite difficult circumstances, injustice, hunger and suffering caused by war. She has always been optimistic and would say:” God will nourish us and compensate us “.”
As Hassouna’s profile grew up and her work was in international media like the Guardian newspaper, she was invited to an exhibition in Jordan.
“His fiancé encouraged him to work. He loved her very much, and she loved her in return. Fatima took love as a remedy to recover from the suffering of war,” said Salem to me.
“They planned to spend a wedding next week and get married. Now he is in shock and cannot believe it.”
Suwairki said Hassouna wanted to “create an extraordinary house, have many children, raise them well and educate them, and for them to live a happy life”.
“She had a vision for a great future,” added her cousin.
