In August 2024, Hassouna wrote in a post on Instagram, “If I die, I want a resounding death, I do not want me in urgent news, nor in a number with a group.”
“I want a death that the world hears, an effect that remains for the extent of the ages, and immortal images that neither time nor space buries,” added the photojournalist, who is the subject of a new documentary to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival next month.
The health ministry in Gaza told CNN on Friday that Hassouna’s parents survived the strike on Wednesday, but both suffered critical injuries and are in an intensive care unit.
The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center (PJPC) said it mourns the loss of Hassouna. It said that the strike that killed her targeted her family’s home on Al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City and also killed several of her family members. It described the attack as a “crime” against journalists and a violation of international law.
Fatima’s cousin Hamza Hassouna recounted the strike to CNN Friday. “I was sitting when suddenly two rockets fell, one next to me and one in the living room. The house fell on us and everything was a disaster,” he said.
Hassouna posted her photos on Facebook and Instagram, where she had more than 35,000 followers. Her images documented the challenges of everyday life in Gaza and the threat of living under Israeli bombardment.
Following the news of Hassouna’s death, the Iranian film director on Friday shared a photo on social media featuring herself on camera with Hassouna, who was smiling. “My last image of her is a smile. I cling to it today,” Farsi wrote alongside the picture.
Speaking to CNN Friday, Farsi said Hassouna was “a very bright and solar person, had an amazing smile and was an optimistic person by nature.” The film director said she had worked with Hassouna for more than a year on the documentary and that they got to know each other very well.
According to the PJPC, the number of journalists who have died in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 212, an unprecedented toll according to numerous journalist groups. The organization called on the international community to open an immediate investigation into the incident and hold those responsible to account.
Hassouna’s final post on her Facebook page was a series of photos of Gaza fishermen by the sea last Saturday, less than a week before she was killed. She posted the pictures with a short poem.
