NEW YORK - Four Palestinian photographers from Agence France-Presse (AFP) were finalists for their Gaza coverage in the Breaking News Photography category of the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious awards in US journalism.
The jury for the award, presented on Monday by Columbia University in New York, praised the “powerful images” from Gaza by Mahmud Hams, Omar Al-Qattaa, Said Khatib and Bashar Taleb.
The Breaking News Photography award went to Doug Mills of The New York Times for a sequence of photos of the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, including one image that captures a bullet whizzing through the air as he speaks.
The AFP photographers’ work encapsulated “the enduring humanity of the people of Gaza amid widespread destruction and loss,” the Pulitzer judges said.
The Pulitzer nomination crowns an exceptional year for Hams, who also won the News award at the Visa pour l’Image festival in Perpignan, France and the Bayeux Calvados Prize for war correspondents — two of the most prestigious international awards in photojournalism.
AFP has provided uninterrupted coverage of the war in Gaza since 2023, when Hamas launched its attack against Israel on October 7, with teams on both sides of the border to guarantee rigorous and impartial information.
AFP’s local journalists are working in perilous conditions in Gaza to document the consequences of the war on civilians.
Since the start of the war, virtually no journalist has been able to cross into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.
“This recognition is a tribute not only to the talent and bravery of these photographers, but also to AFP’s steadfast commitment to documenting events with accuracy and integrity, wherever they unfold,” Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said in a statement.
“We are deeply grateful to Mahmud, Omar, Said, and Bashar, whose work gives voice to those caught in the heart of the conflict,” he added.