Murder instead of applause

Murder instead of applause: the voice of truth was silenced in Gaza
Find out who was the photographer killed shortly after the film she starred in was selected for a festival in Cannes
Fatima Hassouna was 25 years old and was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit her home in northern Gaza, killing ten family members, including her pregnant sister
Fatima Hassouna had just received the news last Tuesday that the documentary she starred in, "Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk", had been selected to be shown at a festival in Cannes. About 24 hours later, however, she was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit her home in northern Gaza, killing ten members of her family, including her sister, who was pregnant.

The 25-year-old photographer lived in the area and, over the past 18 months, has documented several airstrikes, the demolition of her home, the countless displacements and the murder of 11 family members, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

“If I die, I want it to be loud and clear,” Fatima wrote on social media. “I don’t want to be just a breaking news story, or just another number in a group; I want a death that the world hears, an impact that lasts through time and a timeless image that cannot be buried by time or space.”

According to The Guardian, the film tells the story of the ordeals in Gaza and the daily lives of Palestinians through video conversations between Fatima and the Iranian director, Sepideh Farsi, who described the young woman as his “eyes on Gaza,” “burning and full of life.”

"I filmed her laughter, her tears, her hopes and her depression. She was so light, so talented. When you watch the film, you will understand. I had spoken to her a few hours before to let her know that the film was in Cannes and to invite her," Farsi said.

"She was so light, so talented. When you watch the film, you will understand," Farsi told Deadline. "I had spoken to her a few hours before to let her know that the film was in Cannes and to invite her."

Fatima had a degree from the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Gaza University. A neighbor of the victim, Um Aed Ajur, described Fatima as proud of the work she did and questioned the attack on her home, saying that she and her family "have no connection" to any terrorist group.

According to CNN, Fatima's parents survived the attack, but were seriously injured and had been transferred to an intensive care unit. In her last Facebook post, she posted a series of photos of Gazan fishermen by the sea last Saturday, days before her murder.

"From here you get to know the city. You enter, but you don't leave, because you don't want to leave, and you can't leave," Fatima wrote in the post.

Since the start of the war in Gaza, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) estimates that at least 157 journalists and media workers have been killed, although there are reports that the real number could be higher than 200.
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