Devices modified by Israel at production, Lebanon security sources say
world16 hours ago
Palestinian AFP photographer Mahmud Hams has won the prestigious Visa d'Or News prize for his coverage of the conflict in Gaza, the Visa pour l'Image Association announced on Saturday.
The 44-year-old, who has worked for AFP in the Palestinian territory since 2003, thanked the jury for the award in a recorded video message aired at the ceremony in Perpignan, France.
In a statement issued by AFP, he denounced the targeting of journalists during the conflict.
"I spent my childhood in Gaza, and in 23 years of photojournalism, I have witnessed every war, every conflict there," said Hams in the statement.
"But this war is unlike any other, without precedent from the very first day.
"My colleagues and I have had to face incredibly difficult conditions, with no red lines and no protections for anyone," he added.
"There were even attacks targeting journalists' offices, which are supposed to be off-limits in times of war.
"Many journalists have been killed; others wounded. I've also lost friends and loved ones. We struggled to keep our families safe," he said.
Hams left Gaza with his family in February.
"I hope the photos we take show the world that this war, and the suffering, must end," he added.
Eric Baradat, AFP's Deputy News Director for Photo, Graphics, Data and Archives, paid tribute to his work.
"Mahmud and his colleagues, photographers and journalists from AFP in the Gaza Strip, have carried out extraordinary work in every respect, considering the conditions in which they lived with their families and loved ones," he said.
"It is staggering and often unimaginable. Their testimony will be recorded in history," he added.
After the deadly October 7 attack carried out by Hamas on Israel sparked the war, AFP relied on its Gaza bureau, staffed by nine journalists, to cover the conflict from within the besieged Palestinian territory.
On November 2, the office building, which had been evacuated a few days earlier, was badly damaged by a strike, probably caused by Israeli tank fire, according to an investigation conducted by AFP and several international media outlets.
Devices modified by Israel at production, Lebanon security sources say
world16 hours ago
Top US diplomat is visiting Egypt hoping to advance efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and strengthen ties with Cairo
world16 hours ago
A UNRWA official said the Israeli government is also 'increasingly phasing out representation from those engaged in reporting on the atrocities'
world21 hours ago
Of the 2.8 million private cars registered in the Scandinavian country, 754,303 are all-electric, compared to 753,905 that run on petrol
world1 day ago
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have failed to halt the fighting between Hamas and Israel, apart from a one-week truce beginning in late November
world1 day ago
Modi's government has frequently deployed bulldozers and earthmovers to flatten property owned by those facing trial, saying it targets illegal construction and is a firm response to criminal activity
world1 day ago
If approved, Oxford Street would join other major shopping hubs such as Times Square in New York and La Rambla in Barcelona that have gone fully traffic-free
world1 day ago