Portrait of Palestinian boy who lost both arms is World Press Photo of the year for 2025

THE HAGUE – A representation of a young Palestinian lad who mislaid some arms arsenic a effect of an Israeli onslaught successful Gaza was honored Thursday arsenic World Press Photo of the year.

The photo, taken by Qatar-based Palestinian lensman Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times shows 9-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour with his arms missing conscionable beneath each shoulder.

“One of the astir hard things Mahmoud’s parent explained to maine was however erstwhile Mahmoud archetypal came to the realization that his arms were amputated, the archetypal condemnation helium said to her was, ‘How volition I beryllium capable to hug you?’” Abu Elouf said successful a connection released by the World Press Photo organization.

The victor of the 68th variation of the prestigious photojournalism contention was selected from 59,320 entries submitted by 3,778 photographers from 141 countries.

“This is simply a quiescent photograph that speaks loudly. It tells the communicative of 1 boy, but besides of a wider warfare that volition person an interaction for generations," said World Press Photo Executive Director Joumana El Zein Khoury.

In a statement, the enactment said that Ajjour was injured portion fleeing an Israeli onslaught successful March 2024.

“After helium turned backmost to impulse his household onward, an detonation severed 1 of his arms and mutilated the other,” according to the World Press Photo citation.

"This young boy’s beingness deserves to beryllium understood, and this representation does what large photojournalism tin do: supply a layered introduction constituent into a analyzable story, and the inducement to prolong one’s brushwood with that story,” said assemblage seat Lucy Conticello, who is Director of Photography for French paper Le Monde's play magazine.

Winning lensman Abu Elouf was evacuated from Gaza successful December 2023 and she present lives successful the aforesaid flat analyzable arsenic Ajjour successful Qatar's capital, Doha.

Israel launched its devastating onslaught connected Gaza aft Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, successful which thousands of militants stormed into confederate Israel from Gaza, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251.

The Palestinian Health Ministry successful Gaza says implicit 51,000 Palestinians person been killed successful the Israeli offensive. It does not differentiate betwixt civilians and militants, but says that implicit fractional of the dormant were women and children, including astatine slightest 876 infants nether 1. It says implicit 116,000 radical person been wounded.

Israel blames Hamas for the dense civilian toll due to the fact that the radical carries retired attacks and different subject activities from residential areas and civilian buildings.

Competition organizers besides named 2 World Press Photo finalists that highlighted the issues of migration and clime change.

A acheronian photograph by John Moore for Getty Images shows Chinese migrants warming themselves aft crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and a representation by Musuk Nolte for Panos Pictures, Bertha Foundation, of a young antheral carrying nutrient crossed a dried up stream furniture successful Brazil's Amazon basin region.

In determination results announced earlier by the World Press Photo Foundation, The Associated Press was among winners successful the Asia-Pacific and Oceania region. Photographer Jae C. Hong won successful the Singles class with an representation titled Korea Adoption Fraud and Noel Celis won successful the Stories class for photos from the Philippines titled Four Storms, 12 Days.

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