Quote from Alex bobby on April 18, 2025, 8:26 AM

World Press Photo of the Year 2025: A Haunting Portrait of Hope and Loss in Gaza

In a year marked by conflict, displacement, and global uncertainty, a single image has emerged as a symbol of both heartbreak and resilience. The World Press Photo of the Year 2025 has been awarded to a powerful portrait of nine-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour, a young Gazan boy who lost both arms in an Israeli airstrike. The image, captured by Palestinian photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times, is not only a moment of quiet contemplation — it is a searing visual narrative that transcends borders.

In the photograph, Mahmoud sits by a window, bathed in soft, amber light. His eyes gaze outward — not in despair, but in quiet determination. The loss of his limbs is immediately visible, but it is the expression on his face, suspended somewhere between sorrow and strength, that lingers in the viewer’s mind.

Abu Elouf’s photo goes beyond documentation. It tells a deeply personal story. Evacuated from Gaza in December 2023 amid relentless airstrikes, she now resides in Doha, Qatar — in the very same apartment complex as Mahmoud. Their lives, both shaped by the violence in Gaza, have intersected again in exile. From this place of shared displacement, Abu Elouf continues to document the stories of survivors, turning tragedy into testimony.

Mahmoud’s life changed forever in March 2024, as he and his family attempted to flee their home in Gaza City. In a moment of panic, he turned back to urge his loved ones to run. That’s when an Israeli missile struck. One of his arms was severed instantly; the other was mutilated beyond repair.

Today, from his temporary home in Doha, Mahmoud is rebuilding — quite literally — his world. He has learned to write with his feet, open doors, and even play games on his phone. His biggest dream is to receive prosthetic arms so he can play and grow just like other children. He’s not just surviving — he’s adapting, learning, and pushing forward.

The war in Gaza has devastated its population, with children bearing the brunt. By the end of 2024, the United Nations estimated that Gaza had the highest per capita number of child amputees anywhere in the world. Mahmoud’s story is tragically not unique, but his courage — and the dignity captured in Elouf’s image — has become emblematic of a generation left physically and emotionally scarred by war.

"This is a quiet photo that speaks loudly,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, Executive Director of World Press Photo. “It tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations.”

As World Press Photo marks its 70th year, Khoury reflected on the overwhelming number of conflict-driven submissions in the organisation’s archive. “I remain endlessly grateful for the photographers who, despite the personal risks and emotional costs, record these stories to give all of us the opportunity to understand, empathise, and be inspired to action.”

Global jury chair Lucy Conticello, Director of Photography at M, Le Monde’s weekend magazine, echoed the emotional gravity of the winning image. “This young boy's life deserves to be understood, and this picture does what great photojournalism can do: provide a layered entry point into a complex story, and the incentive to prolong one's encounter with that story. In my opinion, this image by Samar Abu Elouf was a clear winner from the start.”

Two other finalists were honoured in this year’s awards:

• “Night Crossing” by John Moore for Getty Images captured Chinese migrants huddling together for warmth during a cold rainstorm after crossing the US–Mexico border. It is a raw, intimate moment in the often-politicised narrative of migration — a reminder that behind policy debates are human lives and fragile journeys.
• “Droughts in the Amazon” by Musuk Nolte for Panos Pictures and the Bertha Foundation documents a young man walking two kilometres along a dried-up riverbed in Manacapuru, Brazil. Once a village accessible only by boat, it now bears witness to climate breakdown and the slow death of the Amazon rainforest.

This year’s entries came from 141 countries, with nearly 3,800 photographers submitting over 59,000 images. The stories chosen reflect global crises — from war and environmental collapse to migration and survival. But at their core, they share a commitment to truth and humanity.

The winning works, including Mahmoud’s portrait, will be showcased in the World Press Photo Exhibition 2025, which opens at the MPB Gallery at Here East in London from 23 May to 25 August. The exhibition will then travel to more than 60 cities around the world, inviting audiences to engage with these visual stories and confront the realities they portray.

In Mahmoud’s face, the world sees not just the cost of war, but the resilience of a child who refuses to be defined by it. Thanks to Samar Abu Elouf, his story — and the many others she continues to document — will not be forgotten.

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A powerful image of nine-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour, who lost both arms in an Israeli airstrike, wins World Press Photo of the Year 2025. Captured by Samar Abu Elouf, the portrait tells a moving story of resilience amid the Gaza war.

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