A photo of a 9-year-old Palestinian boy who lost both arms while trying to escape an Israeli attack in Gaza has been awarded first prize in the World Press Photo 2025 competition.

The photo, by Palestinian photographer Samar Elouf and taken for the New York Times, depicts Mahmoud Azour, who was taken to a hospital in Doha after a powerful explosion caused his arms to be amputated.

“One of the hardest things, as Mahmoud’s mother explained to me, is that when he realized his hands had been cut off, the first thing he said to her was, ‘How am I going to hug you?’” Samar Elouf said.

The photographer is originally from Gaza and constantly takes portraits of Palestinians seriously wounded by the war, who are settled in Doha.

"It is a silent photograph, but it speaks loudly. It tells the story of a boy, but also of a great war that will mark generations to come," said Zoumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo.

The jury praised the photo's realism, lighting, subject matter, as well as its appeal regarding issues related to Mahmud's future.

The latter is learning to use the phone, write, and open doors with his feet, adapting to his new life.

"Mahmoud has a very simple dream: he wants to wear prosthetics and live a life like any other child," the organizers of World Press Photo wrote in a statement.

If his dream comes true, Mahmoud will be able to hug his mother again.