The Faces of Gaza’s Genocide, investigates the ongoing genocide and humanitarian crisis in Gaza by examining how Palestinians on the ground use TikTok to document their experiences and urgently call for international attention. These TikTok videos offer an unfiltered view of the crisis, starkly contrasting the app’s typical content, usually centred around entertainment, such as dances, skits, and food content.

This project translates these videos into printed format, creating a physical archive that records the voices of Palestinians over the past 13 months. By documenting the content of each video — what was asked for, how it was received, and how it interacted with the wider TikTok community — the project captures a raw, real-time record of personal pleas and stories amid one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. The project also addresses the impermanence of social media: videos are often deleted, suppressed, or overlooked. Therefore, this archive is a permanent record, safeguarding these voices for future generations.

The research focuses on how Gaza’s genocide is represented on TikTok, what information is shared, and how Palestinians are using the platform to communicate their experiences directly. It asks vital questions: What do these videos say about the conditions on the ground? How does a global audience receive them? In what ways does TikTok allow Palestinians to share their narratives, as opposed to being mediated by traditional news outlets, which have become increasingly politicised and biased? This project not only provides a historical account of the ongoing Gaza genocide but also problematises TikTok as a form of grassroots journalism that offers a raw and immediate perspective, often missing from mainstream media.