The winner of the prestigious photojournalism competition became a portrait photograph of a 9-year-old Palestinian boy, Mahmoud Asura, who lost his hand during the war. This work was marked as 'The Best Photographic Image in the World' for 2025.
The boy was photographed by an Israeli aviator in the Syrian homeland. His story captivated the jury, as it expresses not only the individual fate of the child but also the aftermath of war that affects many generations.
According to the jury president, director of photography for the French newspaper Le Monde, Lucie Contisello, the life of this boy deserves understanding, and the photograph reflects the greatness of photojournalism.
The photograph was taken by the resident of Qatar, Sameer Abu Auf, for the New York Times under the title 'Save Gaza', published on the first page on November 26, 2024. In the image, Mahmoud Asura is shown without both hands, after their amputation at shoulder level. The author of the photograph created a contrasting image of suffering, emphasizing the innocent victim of war.
