TEHRAN – In a message on social media platform X, Iranian culture minister Islamic leader Seiyed Abbassalehi expressed deep sadness over the death of Gaza-based photojournalist Fatima Hassona, who was killed along with his family in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.
Read Salehi’s message: “Fatima Hassona’s martialism, an emotional symbol of Gaza’s suffering, is heartbreaking.” He praised her contributions to the documentary film “Stopping Your Soul in Your Hands and Walking.” It was accepted by the Cannes Festival a day before her tragic death, saying, “Her pure blood flows through the veins of the images she captures, and it is an image that endures.”
Hassouna, 25, was a Palestinian photographer who gained international recognition to document the effectiveness of Israeli military operations against Gaza civilians. She lost her life in an Israeli airstrike that targeted her home in Gaza city.
“If I were to die, I would like to die loudly,” Hassona shared on social media. “I don’t just want to break the news or be a group number. I want a death that the world hears, an impact that will last over time, a timeless image that cannot be filled with time or a place.”
A few days before her wedding, Hassouna was killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck her home in northern Gaza. Along with her, nine families were also killed, including her pregnant sister.
Israeli forces argued that the strike was intended for Hamas members related to attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
According to reports, Hassona’s death came just 24 hours after the film “Get Your Soul and Walk,” directed by French-based Iranian film director Sepide Falsi. The documentary includes a visual dialogue between Falsi and Hassouna as Falsi attempted to create a comprehensive documentary of the events in Gaza.
Falsi recounted her final conversation with Hassouna, during which she invited her to Cannes, revealing her film choices. “She expressed her passion for attendance, but only insisted on going if she could return to Gaza,” Falsi pointed out, highlighting Hassona’s deep connection to her hometown. Falsi also expressed concern over the possibility of separating Hassouna from her family, revealing the challenges she faced in securing travel arrangements.
Falsi expressed fear that Hassona might have been targeted for her work, noting that until February 16, at least 157 journalists and media workers were reportedly killed in Gaza amid ongoing violence.
In light of the tragedy, Farsi claimed that the Israelis had claimed that Hamas officers were at Hassona’s house at the time of the attack, calling it “completely false” and describing the situation as “disastrous.”
As reported by Gaza’s Ministry of Health and confirmed by the United Nations, the ongoing conflict is at a devastating cost. It has been confirmed by the United Nations. However, a statistical survey published in the Lancet Medical Journal suggests that the actual death toll could rise by 15,000.
In a statement, the French Independent Film Association corresponds to the acidic section, but found fear in Hassona’s death, and “we saw a film where the vitality of this young woman seemed like a miracle,” they said. “Her smile was just as magical as her tenacity: Bearing’s witness, taking pictures of Gaza, distributing food despite the bomb, mourning and hunger.
The association said, “Yesterday, I learned in horror that Israeli missiles target her building and kill Fatima and her family. The film we chose introduced her incredible spirit, but now we are forced to present another story.”
Israel has begun bombing Gaza since October 7, 2023, and since October 7, 2023, more than half of its women and children have been killed, after more than half of its women and children have been killed, according to the Gaza Ministry. Since the ceasefire, Israel has re-opened deadly airstrikes with vitality, killing at least 30 people on the strike on Friday.
sab/