Maimed Palestinian boy's image wins World Press Photo award

A portrait of a young Palestinian boy who lost both arms as a result of an Israeli attack in Gaza was honoured on Thursday as World Press Photo of the year.

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

"One of the most difficult things Mahmoud's mother explained to me was how when Mahmoud first came to the realisation that his arms were amputated, the first sentence he said to her was, 'How will I be able to hug you?"" Abu Elouf said in a statement released by the World Press Photo organisation.

The winner of the 68th edition of the prestigious photojournalism contest was selected from 59,320 entries submitted by 3,778 photographers from 141 countries.

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

In a statement, the organisation said that Ajjour was injured while fleeing an Israeli attack in March 2024.

"After he turned back to urge his family onward, an explosion severed one of his arms and mutilated the other," according to the World Press Photo citation.