News Award – Winner
Belal al-Sabbagh & Youssef Hassouna
Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
Commissioned by: AFP
Following the Hamas attacks of October 7th and Israel’s immediate response, AFP’s most experienced freelancers, Belal al-Sabbagh and Youssef Hassouna, worked around the clock to gather images of the war.
Hamas’s attack on southern Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. The militants also seized 251 hostages, many of whom remain in Gaza. Israel’s retaliatory offensive aimed at eradicating the Palestinian militants in Gaza has killed thousands of people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Belal and Youssef’s entry includes images of Israeli strikes, rocket fire, casualties, people mourning friends and family killed in strikes, the suffering of children, drone shots, images of the aftermath of Israeli strikes, armed Palestinian fighters on October 7th in Gaza City and at Erez crossing, evacuations from Gaza, images of the hostage for prisoner exchanges, mass graves, people queuing for food, the dropping of aid over Gaza and makeshift camps on the Gaza coast.
Youssef’s live feed of rockets, Israeli strikes, and flares on the night of October 27th from the AFP office were exclusive – no other agency was broadcasting live at that time. Belal was filming at Al-Aqsa University in Khan Yunis when Israeli gunfire rang out, causing people to flee in panic.
“This is visual reporting of the highest order. It’s not just a checklist of breaking news events, but powerful storytelling with empathy, courage and talent. Their images cover the scale of the tragedy – from wide shots revealing relentless destruction, to the most intimate close shots, as rescuers find a small body in the rubble. Belal and Youssef take the viewer to the heart of Gaza’s agony with this very fine work.”
News Award Jury
Bio
Belal Bassam al-Sabbagh started working in journalism at the beginning of 2010, parallel to his university studies in photography at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City. He worked for several local television channels and institutions until finally getting an opportunity to freelance with Agence France-Presse at the end of 2017. In September 2024, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Bayeux Award for War Correspondents.
Youssef Hassouna has worked as a cameraman since 1995. His work (often via a production company) has been seen on many international news networks. He has also worked on regular programming such as drama shows, filmed in Gaza. He has freelanced for AFP since 2014, usually being called into action during periods of increased violence between Israel and the armed Palestinian factions. Since the start of the war in Gaza, he has been one of AFP’s main freelance video journalists there.