A heartfelt powerful portrait of a nine -year -old Palestinian boy who lost both weapons during an Israeli attack in Gaza, won 2025 World Press Photo of the Year, the organizers announced on Thursday, April 17th.
Photographs taken by Palestinian photographer Samar Abul Elouf for the New York Times captures the young Mahmúd Ajjoura with amputated hands just below each arm. The picture was selected from more than 59,000 posts submitted by nearly 3,800 photographers in 141 countries, according to CBS News.
“It is a quiet photo that speaks loudly. It tells the story of one boy, but also a wider war that will have an impact on generations,” said Jouman El Zein Khoury, Executive director of Photo Photo Organization.
Breaking the heart of the mother
Abu Elouf said that at the moment Mahmúd understood that his injuries were deeply emotional.
“One of the most difficult things Mahmoud’s mother explained to me was, as Mahmúd first realized that his arms were amputated, the first sentence he told her was,” How can I hug you? “
Context of conflict and pain
World Press Photo Organization said Mahmúd was injured in March 2024, while he fled the Israeli air strike. According to the quotation of the competition, he turned back to urge his family to continue running when the explosion interrupted one of his arms and seriously damaged the other.
The painting comes in the middle of the ongoing war in Gaza, induced by the terrorist attack of Hamas 7 October 2023 on Israel, in which the militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and kidnapped 251, according to Israeli bodies.
Difficult tolls in Gaza
The Ministry of Health in Hamas, dominated by Gazze, states that over 51,000 Palestinians died in the Israeli offensive, which began in response to an attack on October 7. The ministry says more than half of the victims are women and children. Reportedly, more than 116,000 people were injured.
Israel claims that Hamas is responsible for civilian tolls, accuses a group of operations of inhabited civilian areas and buildings.
(Tagstotranslate) 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award (T) 9 -year -old Palestinian boy
