Alyssa GoodmanApril 01, 2026Comment

AP's Adel Hana, who fearlessly documented his hometown of Gaza, retires after three decades

Alyssa GoodmanApril 01, 2026Comment

Adel Hana, a longtime Associated Press staff photographer in Gaza, is retiring after more than three decades documenting life and conflict in the Palestinian territories.

Since joining AP in 1993, Hana became a cornerstone of the agency’s coverage, producing widely distributed images that captured both the intensity of conflict and the resilience of daily life. Originally trained in computer science at the American University in Cairo, he later transitioned into journalism, building a distinguished career that earned international recognition, including a World Press Photo award and contributing to a Pulitzer Prize–finalist team.

Adel Hana on Sept. 7 2018. (AP Photo/Adam Geller)

Adel Hana smokes a cigarette in Gaza City on March 19, 2005.(AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Jerome Delay and Adel hana in Khan Younis 1990’s (Photo by Nati Harnik)

Before focusing on photography, Hana worked as a reporter and editor for Palestinian publications in East Jerusalem, an experience that informed his visual storytelling. Over the years, his images helped shape global understanding of Gaza, often produced under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions.

A Palestinian police officer teaches a girl how to use the an AK-47 assault rifle at a summer camp in the el-Bureij, a refugee camp south of Gaza City, July 19, 2000. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian police take cover during a shootout with members of the Israeli Army at the Israeli Netzarim Jewish settlement crossing, southern Gaza City, Oct. 1, 2000. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Colleagues describe Hana as not only a skilled and fearless photographer, but also a generous mentor and steady presence under pressure.

“A colleague, a friend, a brother,” recalled Lefteris Pitarakis, who worked alongside him for more than a decade, noting his calm leadership and constant support for visiting journalists. “We were always visitors, he lived through it all at home,” he said.

“I will never forget the day he stepped into the street to search for me and help negotiate my freedom,” said Emilio Morenatti, recalling his 2006 kidnapping in Gaza. “It was an act of courage, loyalty and humanity I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Jerome Delay, who first met Hana in Gaza in the early 1990s, remembered him as AP’s trusted “man on the ground” as the agency built its presence there. Over the years, their shared assignments forged a lasting bond, with Delay affectionately dubbing him “Adel La Gazelle” for his agility and instinct as a photographer.

Palestinian schoolgirls run through a flooded street at the Jebaliya refugee camp adjacent to Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, Jan. 5, 2005. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

An Israeli soldier stops the press while others stop a Palestinian taxi driver heading for the southern area of Gaza Strip, July 2 1998. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hana’s legacy also continues through his son, Abdel Kareem, now an AP photographer in Gaza who has documented the ongoing conflict since Oct. 7.

Hana’s retirement marks the end of an era for AP’s coverage of Gaza, closing a career defined by dedication, resilience and a deep commitment to telling the story of his home.

See more images from Hana’s career: