A haunting photo of 9-year-old Palestinian son Mahmoud Ajjour, who lost both arms in an Israeli air raid, won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year. The image is taken by Samar Abu Elouf for the New York Times, and emphasizes the human cost of the Gaza conflict. This image offered by World Press Photo and taken by Samar Abu Elouf, for the New York Times, won the World Press Photo Award of the Year and shows Mahmoud Ajjour (9), who was injured during an Israeli attack on Gaza City in March 2024, finds refuge and medical assistance in Doha, 28 June 2024. 2025 World Press Photo of the Year awarded, the organizers announced on Thursday (April 17). The photo, taken by Palestinian photographer Samar Abu Elouf for the New York Times, captures young Mahmoud Ajjour with his arms amputated just below each shoulder. According to CBS News, the image was selected from more than 59,000 entries submitted by almost 3.800 photographers in 141 countries. “It’s a quiet photo talking loudly. It tells the story of one boy, but also of a bigger war that will have an impact on generations,” says Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of the World Press Photo Organization. Abu Elouf of a mother, Abu Elouf, said the moment Mahmoud understood his injuries was deeply emotional. “One of the hardest things Mahmoud’s mother explained to me was how Mahmoud first realized that his arms were amputated, the first sentence he told her,” How can I embrace you? ” Abu Elouf said in a statement released by the world press photo. Context of conflict and pain The World Press Photo Organization said Mahmoud was injured in March 2024 while fleeing an Israeli air raid. According to the quote from the competition, he turned back to insist on running his family to continue running when an explosion broke one of his arms and severely damaged the other. The image comes amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which arose by Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted the Israeli authorities 251. Heavy toll in Gaza The Health Ministry in Hamas reported that more than 51,000 Palestinians died in the Israeli offensive, which began in response to the October 7 attack. The ministry says more than half of the casualties are women and children. More than 116,000 people were allegedly wounded. Israel claims that Hamas bears responsibility for the civic toll and accuses the group of being operated from populated civilian areas and buildings. First Published: 20 Apr 2025, 1:51 am Ist
Award -winning photo puts the face of the Gaza war tragedy: a Palestinian boy with no arms | Today news
