Plan International horrified by killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouneh in Gaza
16 April 2025Plan International is horrified by reports that Fatima Hassouneh, a 24-year-old Palestinian photojournalist and youth advocate, was killed with her family in an Israeli airstrike that targeted their home in Gaza this morning.
A talented photographer and former participant in Plan International’s She Leads programme, for the last 18 months Fatima has bravely shared multiple accounts of daily life in Gaza with her work published in the Guardian and other media outlets.
Upon the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in January, she had been optimistic for the future and was looking forward to spending more time with her fiancé, saying that “I am looking forward to my life after the war and I am confident that beautiful things will come.”
“Fatima has been a beacon of inspiration for all of us at Plan International,” said Dr Unni Krishnan, Global Humanitarian Director.
“Through her fearless storytelling and unwavering courage in the face of conflict, she gave the world a window into the human cost of war—and into the heart of Gaza. We came to know Fatima not just as a powerful voice, but as a person full of love—for life, for art, and above all, for the people of Gaza. Her legacy will stay with us forever.
“Through the conflict, she showed extraordinary resilience, and amidst a daily struggle to survive she was a fierce ambassador for youth. In an article she wrote last year, she asked the world a question which has resonated with us ever since – ‘aren’t we human, just like you?’
“We are devastated and our thoughts are with her surviving family, friends and loved ones.”
In Fatima’s most recent project, she was working to document a day in the life of a young woman in Gaza during the short-lived ceasefire through a series of photographs. She wrote how “many children are carrying burdens heavier than their years, at a time when they should be in schools or playgrounds”.
She also reflected on how “nothing is more beautiful than returning home, despite the journey’s hardship, the difficulty of arrival and the long wait.”
More than 175 journalists killed
At least 175 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7th October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Gaza remains inaccessible to international media, making the work of local journalists and ordinary Palestinians critical in documenting the reality of life in Gaza today.
Over 51,000 people in Gaza have been killed since 7th October 2023, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, including 15,613 children and 8,304 women.
In memory of Fatima, Plan International continues to call for a permanent, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a lifting of the blockade and unhindered access for humanitarian workers and relief supplies and accountability for all violations of International Humanitarian Law.
Categories: Emergencies, Protection from violence
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