‘I want a loud death’: Gaza journalist Fatima Hassouna’s last wish echoes after fatal Israeli airstrike

Fatima Hassouna, a 25-year-old Palestinian journalist, once wrote: “If I die, I want a loud death. I don’t want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group. I want a death that the world will hear.” On April 16, 2025, her haunting words came true when she was killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck her home in northern Gaza—just days before her wedding.

The attack also claimed the lives of eight of her family members, including her pregnant sister, leaving behind a grim reminder of the escalating toll of the Gaza war on civilians and journalists alike.

A voice of Gaza silenced

Hassouna had spent the last 18 months documenting the war in Gaza, sharing unfiltered glimpses of life under siege through photography and social media. Her powerful visuals gained global recognition and highlighted the human cost of the ongoing conflict. Her last post featured Gaza’s fishermen and a poem reflecting on the soul of the city she loved.

A life and legacy captured in documentary

Fatima was the subject of a documentary titled Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, directed by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi. Set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, the film presents Gaza’s reality through Hassouna’s eyes. “She was fiery and full of life,” Farsi said. “I filmed her laughs, her tears, her hopes, and her depression.”

Condemnation from Journalist Groups

The Palestinian Journalists’ Protection Center (PJPC) called Hassouna’s death a “crime” against journalism and a breach of international law. The airstrike hit her home on Al-Nafaq Street in Gaza City, further intensifying global scrutiny of attacks on media workers in conflict zones.

“Fatima’s images documenting life under siege were published globally, shedding light on the war’s toll,” PJPC stated. The center reported that 212 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023—an unprecedented figure that continues to rise.

Israel’s justification for the strike

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the airstrike targeted a Hamas operative linked to attacks on soldiers and civilians. The IDF claimed the use of precision munitions and intelligence to minimise civilian harm. “The terrorist planned and executed terror attacks,” it stated, while accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

The cost of war continues to mount

The Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas’s deadly incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, has since claimed over 51,000 lives—more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Over 116,000 people have been injured, and 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents have been displaced.

Eighteen months in, ceasefire efforts remain elusive, and airstrikes continue. As violence surges, Fatima Hassouna’s words—and her work—endure as a reminder of what journalism strives to illuminate in the darkest of times.