The photo of a Palestinian child who lost both hands due to the Israeli attack on Gaza has been declared as this year's 'World Press Photo of the Year'. Mahmoud Azour, a 9-year-old boy who has lost both hands, is shown in a photo taken by Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf for the New York Times. He lost his hand in March 2024 due to an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City.
After realizing that his hand was cut during the treatment, Azour said to his mother, 'How can I hug you?', in a statement issued by the World Press Photo Organization, Elouf mentioned that it was the most difficult part of the conversation with Azour's mother.
The winner of the 68th edition of prestigious photojournalism was selected from 59,320 applications from 3,778 photographers from 141 countries. This is a quiet photograph that speaks loudly. It reflects the situation of a child, even of a massive war that affects generations," said Joumana El Zein Khoury, Executive Director of World Press Photo.
In March 2024, Ajzor was injured while fleeing an Israeli attack, the organization said in a statement. "As he returned to urge his family to move on, an explosion severed one of his hands and left the other useless," the World Press photo said. Lucy Conticello, chairman of the
judging committee, said, "This photo captures the life of a child and shows what photojournalism can do." Conticello is the director of the photography department of the weekly newspaper Le Monde.
winning photographer Abu Eluf was expelled from Gaza in December 2023. Since then, he has been living in Doha, the capital of Qatar. With the Palestinian group Hamas attacking Israel on October 7, 2023, the war in Gaza escalated. 1,200 people were killed in the October 7 attack. In addition, Hamas took 251 hostages.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 51,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks since then. According to the ministry, more than 116,000 people were injured.
Similarly, the organizers of the competition have also included the names of two World Press Photo finalists that highlight the issues of immigration and climate change. The black photo, taken by John Moore for Getty Images, shows Chinese migrants burning to death after crossing the US-Mexico border. Similarly, a photograph taken by Muscoq Nolte for Panos Pictures, Bertha Foundation, shows a young man carrying food on the banks of a dried-up river in the Amazon region of Brazil.
The World Press Photo Foundation has also selected regional category winners. Tamale Safalu, who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident and won the bodybuilding competition, has won the Best in Africa singles category.
Similarly, the photo of locals watching the drone attack on Lebanon's capital Beirut, Asia, the photo of Donald Trump being shot during the election campaign in America, and the photo of the displaced Ukrainian girl after the Russian attack were declared the best in the Europe category.
