Gaza Journalist Killed in Israeli Airstrike After Being Featured in Cannes Documentary

 

"A photograph of Fatima Hassouna with her brother was shared on social media by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi. 'Her smile is the last image I have of her—I hold onto it today,' Farsi wrote early Friday."

Gaza Journalist Featured in Cannes Documentary Killed in Israeli Airstrike

Fatima Hassouna, a Palestinian photojournalist and subject of an upcoming documentary set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, was killed this week in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. The strike also claimed the lives of seven members of her family, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Hassouna, who had spent the past 18 months documenting the war in Gaza, had been working closely with Iranian director Sepideh Farsi on Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk—a film centered around her life and work, slated to screen in Cannes' ACID section this May.

“If I die, I want a resounding death,” Hassouna wrote in an August 2024 Instagram post. “I want a death that the world hears… and immortal images that neither time nor space buries.”

The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center (PJPC) condemned the strike as a “crime” against journalists and a breach of international law. The organization said the attack targeted her family’s home on Al-Nafaq Street and urged the international community to investigate.

Hassouna’s parents survived but remain in critical condition.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated the airstrike targeted a Hamas operative responsible for attacks on Israeli forces and civilians, asserting that precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties. The IDF did not provide evidence linking Hassouna or her family to militant activity.

Fatima’s cousin, Hamza Hassouna, told CNN that two rockets hit their home without warning. “The house fell on us and everything was a disaster,” he said.

Hassouna, who had over 35,000 followers on social media, used her platforms to share striking images of daily life in Gaza under bombardment. Her final post, less than a week before her death, featured photos of local fishermen and a poetic caption: “You enter [Gaza], but you don’t leave—because you can’t.”

Director Sepideh Farsi, who had worked with Hassouna for over a year, said she had spoken to her just one day before the strike to share the news of the film’s selection at Cannes. “She was the heart of the film,” Farsi said. “I hope it now serves as a tribute to her courage and her life.”

According to the PJPC, Hassouna is among 212 journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023—an unprecedented toll. Her longtime neighbor, Um Aed Ajur, emphasized the family’s civilian status: “We have been neighbors for 35 years. They had no connection to any group.”