Picture of injured Palestinian boy wins World Press Photo of the Year

A picture of a young Palestinian boy injured in the war in Gaza has been awarded the World Press Photo of the Year.

Around 60,000 pictures from around 4,000 photographers across the world competed in the 2025 edition of the World Press Photo, the jury said on Thursday, with the main themes focusing on conflict, migration and climate change.

The Amsterdam-based jury selected photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf's image of 9-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour as the winner.

Ajjour was severely injured in an Israeli attack on Gaza City in March 2024, losing both his arms in an explosion.

He was later evacuated to Qatar, where he lives with his family in the same apartment block as Abu Elouf.

The competition's executive director, Joumana El Zein Khoury, said: "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."

The jury said Ajjour is "learning to use his feet to play games on his phone, write, and open doors," but still requires assistance for daily activities such as eating and dressing.

"Mahmoud's dream is simple: he wants to get prosthetics and live his life as any other child," the jury added.

Photographer Abu Elouf fled from Gaza in December 2023 and has documented the severe injuries suffered by refugees from the coastal territory since the beginning of the current conflict in October 2023.

Her picture of Ajjour was taken for the New York Times.

The other finalists included a picture by US photographer John Moore of Chinese migrants warming themselves by a fire on the US-Mexico border, and a work by Mexican photographer Musuk Nolte on droughts in the Amazon.

A total of 42 photographers were recognized by the jury in various categories. The winning photos can be seen in exhibitions in more than 60 cities.