Palestinian freelance photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda has won the top photography prize at the prestigious Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Award for War Correspondents for his work documenting Israel’s war on Gaza. The international jury, chaired by veteran BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet, awarded Abu Hamda the Nikon first prize for his reportage, "What the War Leaves Behind It". His winning photograph shows a displaced child from Beit Hanoun who fled with his family to a university converted into a shelter, bringing his birds with him.
Abu Hamda, based in Gaza, also won the Public's Choice award for the same reportage, with audiences endorsing the jury's selection. His photographs document the devastation of a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed homes, hospitals and civilian infrastructure across the territory. The war has had a profound impact on the people of Gaza, with many forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in overcrowded and under-resourced areas.
Abu Hamda has worked professionally as a photographer since 2011 and previously taught photography at the University of Gaza. Before the war, his work covered the territory's landscapes, food and everyday life. In 2023, he was among the Palestinian photojournalists recognised collectively with the Lucie Impact Award for documenting Gaza. His experience and skill as a photographer have earned him recognition and accolades from around the world.
Abu Hamda was not present at Saturday's ceremony in Bayeux, northwestern France, but sent a video message to the event. His victory marks the third consecutive year that a Palestinian photographer working in Gaza has won the Bayeux Nikon first prize. He follows Agence France-Presse photographer Mahmud Hams, who won in 2024, and Saher Alghorra of Zuma Press, who won in 2025.
The consecutive victories also highlight the crucial role of Palestinian journalists in documenting the war, particularly as foreign reporters remain barred from independently entering Gaza. The Washington Post, NPR and CNN also took top prizes in the print, radio and television categories for reports from Ukraine, Gaza and the occupied West Bank, respectively. These awards demonstrate the importance of independent journalism in bringing attention to critical issues around the world.
The Washington Post team was honoured for telling the story of a Ukrainian soldier trapped in a combat zone for 177 days. Palestinian journalist Anas Baba of NPR won the radio award for a report on the recovery of victims' bodies in Gaza, documenting the devastating human toll of Israel’s war. CNN journalists won both the television prize and the video image award for their report exposing Israeli soldiers’ involvement in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Associated Press photographer Jehad Alshrafi won the Young Reporter photography prize for his series, "Endless War and Devastation in Gaza". One of Alshrafi's photographs, showing footballers playing on a pitch surrounded by rubble in Gaza, sparked controversy in France in August. The image was removed from a sports photography festival in the northern French town of Deauville before a court ordered its reinstatement.
Key points
- Palestinian photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda wins top Bayeux prize for Gaza war coverage
- Abu Hamda's photographs document the devastation of a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed homes, hospitals and civilian infrastructure across the territory
- The consecutive victories of Palestinian photographers in the Bayeux Nikon first prize highlight the crucial role of Palestinian journalists in documenting the war.
