Palestinian Photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda Claims Top Bayeux War Correspondents’ Award

Palestinian freelance photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda secured the prestigious photography category at the Bayeux-Calvados Awards for war correspondents on Saturday, recognized for his compelling imagery captured in the Gaza Strip.

The Washington Post, NPR, and CNN claimed the top honors in print, radio, and television categories for their reporting from Ukraine, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank respectively.

In addition to the main photography award, Abu Hamda—based in Gaza—also received the Public’s Choice award for his photo series “What War Leaves Behind.”

Unable to attend the ceremony in Bayeux, northwest France, he shared a video message with attendees.

“My greatest honor is that these photos have been able to leave the borders of Gaza,” he said.

Abu Hamda submitted his unpublished work directly to the Bayeux jury. His images depict daily life in Gaza and the hardships endured by residents following Israel’s military offensive launched after Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

The Washington Post team was recognized for documenting the harrowing 177-day ordeal of a Ukrainian soldier trapped in a combat zone.

NPR’s Palestinian journalist Anas Baba won the radio award for his report covering the recovery of victims’ bodies in Gaza.

CNN journalists earned both the television prize and video image award for their investigation into Israeli soldiers protecting settlers in the West Bank.

Associated Press photographer Jehad Alshrafi was awarded the Young Reporter photography prize for his series titled “Endless War and Devastation in Gaza.”

One of Alshrafi’s photographs—depicting footballers playing amid rubble-strewn pitches in Gaza—sparked controversy in France in August.

The image was temporarily removed from a sports photography festival in Deauville before a court mandated its reinstatement.

Veteran BBC war correspondent Lyse Doucet served as president of the Bayeux awards jury this year.

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