The 2025 World Press Photo of the Year has been awarded to Samar Abu Elouf, a Doha-based Palestinian photographer, for her poignant image of Mahmoud Ajjour, a young boy severely injured while fleeing an Israeli attack in Gaza.
Captured for The New York Times newspaper, the photograph powerfully conveys Mahmoud’s suffering and resilience after an explosion in March last year left one of his arms severed and the other mutilated.
Since her evacuation from Gaza in December 2023, Abu Elouf has been documenting the experiences of individuals like Mahmoud, who sought medical treatment abroad.
Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo, an Amsterdam-based organisation, described the image as “quiet” yet deeply impactful, capturing the intimate suffering of one child while also speaking to the wider repercussions of global conflict.
The winner and two finalists were announced on Thursday, during the press opening of the World Press Photo Exhibition in Amsterdam. The exhibition will travel to more than 60 locations worldwide, showcasing some of the year’s most compelling and visually striking stories.
For 70 years, the World Press Photo Contest has honoured the best in photojournalism. This year’s contest received at least 59,000 submissions from photographers in 141 countries, featuring powerful stories of struggle, defiance, warmth and courage.
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract, with the Dutch centre-back signing to stay at Anfield until 2027, the Premier League club said, ending a protracted saga that had dragged on for several months.
Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool in 2017 for a world record fee for a defender, reported to be 75 million pounds ($99m), has been the bedrock of a defence that has helped them win numerous trophies, including a first Premier League title.
“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy”, van Dijk, 33, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.
” There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling. “
Van Dijk follows Egypt striker Mohamed Salah in signing an extension, after the winger committed to the club until 2027, giving manager Arne Slot a huge boost and enabling Liverpool to turn their focus to bringing in reinforcements in the close season.
The runaway leaders are two wins away from clinching a second English Premier League trophy, and record-equalling 20th English league title overall, as Slot’s side stand 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with six games left.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk’s (R) new contract extension follows Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah re-signing with the club last week]File: Adrian Dennis/AFP]
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract, with the Dutch centre-back signing to stay at Anfield until 2027, the Premier League club said, ending a protracted saga that had dragged on for several months.
Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool in 2017 for a world record fee for a defender, reported to be 75 million pounds ($99m), has been the bedrock of a defence that has helped them win numerous trophies, including a first Premier League title.
“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy,” van Dijk, 33, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.
“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”
Van Dijk follows Egypt striker Mohamed Salah in signing an extension, after the winger committed to the club until 2027, giving manager Arne Slot a huge boost and enabling Liverpool to turn their focus to bringing in reinforcements in the close season.
The runaway leaders are two wins away from clinching a second English Premier League trophy, and record-equalling 20th English league title overall, as Slot’s side stand 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with six games left.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk’s (R) new contract extension follows Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah re-signing with the club last week [File: Adrian Dennis/AFP]
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract, with the Dutch centre-back signing to stay at Anfield until 2027, the Premier League club said, ending a protracted saga that had dragged on for several months.
Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool in 2017 for a world record fee for a defender, reported to be 75 million pounds ($99m), has been the bedrock of a defence that has helped them win numerous trophies, including a first Premier League title.
“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy,” van Dijk, 33, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.
“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”
Van Dijk follows Egypt striker Mohamed Salah in signing an extension, after the winger committed to the club until 2027, giving manager Arne Slot a huge boost and enabling Liverpool to turn their focus to bringing in reinforcements in the close season.
The runaway leaders are two wins away from clinching a second English Premier League trophy, and record-equalling 20th English league title overall, as Slot’s side stand 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with six games left.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk’s (R) new contract extension follows Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah re-signing with the club last week [File: Adrian Dennis/AFP]
Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract, with the Dutch centre-back signing to stay at Anfield until 2027, the Premier League club said, ending a protracted saga that had dragged on for several months.
Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool in 2017 for a world record fee for a defender, reported to be 75 million pounds ($99m), has been the bedrock of a defence that has helped them win numerous trophies, including a first Premier League title.
“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy,” van Dijk, 33, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.
“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”
Van Dijk follows Egypt striker Mohamed Salah in signing an extension, after the winger committed to the club until 2027, giving manager Arne Slot a huge boost and enabling Liverpool to turn their focus to bringing in reinforcements in the close season.
The runaway leaders are two wins away from clinching a second English Premier League trophy, and record-equalling 20th English league title overall, as Slot’s side stand 13 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with six games left.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk’s (R) new contract extension follows Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah re-signing with the club last week [File: Adrian Dennis/AFP]
The solemn portrait of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy, whose arms were severed and mutilated during an Israeli attack on Gaza City, has won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year award.
The picture, given the accolade on Thursday, was taken by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times newspaper, and depicts Mahmoud Ajjour.
“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’?” said Abu Elouf.
Ajjour was evacuated to Doha, Qatar, following the Israeli explosion in March last year, an attack in the continuing war that has killed at least 51,025 Palestinians, wounded about 116,432 others and reduced much of the enclave to rubble.
The photographer is also from Gaza and was herself evacuated in December 2023. She now takes photos of badly wounded Palestinians based in Doha.
“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 Joumana El Zein Khoury, World Press Photo’s executive director.
The jury praised the photo’s “strong composition and attention to light” and its thought-provoking subject matter, especially questions raised over Mahmoud’s future.
It also lauded how the photo depicts “the dehumanisation of a region, and about the relentless targeting of journalists in Gaza alongside the continued denial of access to international reporters seeking to expose the realities of this war”.
The boy is now learning to play games on his phone, write, and open doors with his feet, but still needs special assistance for most daily activities, such as eating and dressing, the jury said.
“Mahmoud’s dream is simple: he wants to get prosthetics and live his life as any other child,” said the World Press Photo organisers in a statement.
The statement cited the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA)’s recent estimation that by December last year, Gaza had more child amputees per capita than anywhere else in the world.
“Children are disproportionately impacted by the war,” the jury stated.
Runner-up prize
The jury also selected two photos for the runner-up prize.
The first, entitled “Droughts in the Amazon” by Musuk Nolte for Panos Pictures and the Bertha Foundation, shows a man on a dried-up river bed in the Amazon carrying supplies to a village once accessible by boat.
The second, “Night Crossing” by John Moore shooting for Getty Images, depicts Chinese migrants huddling near a fire during a cold rain after crossing the US-Mexico border.
Chinese migrants warm themselves under a cold rain after crossing the US-Mexico border, Campo, California, on March 7, 2024 [John Moore/ Getty Images]
The jury sifted through 59,320 photographs from 3,778 photojournalists to select 42 prize-winning shots from around the world.
Nairobi-based Luis Tato won in the “Stories” category for the Africa region for a selection of photos depicting Kenya’s youth uprising.
Jerome Brouillet won in the “Singles” category Asia Pacific and Oceania for his iconic picture of surfer Gabriel Medina seemingly floating above the waves.
Clarens Siffroy won in the “Stories” category North and Central America for his coverage of the gang crisis in Haiti.
