12 October, 2023
An Israeli security forces officer searches the site of the Supernova music festival for personal effects of victims of the 7 October Hamas attack, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths, more than 2,500 reported injuries, and some 250 people held hostage from the festival and communities near the Gaza border. Re’im, Israel.
This year, the jury made the exceptional decision to include two special mentions in the 2024 World Press Photo Contest selection:
“These two special mentions reflect the gravity of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, the extreme suffering of civilians, and its global political impact. While each photograph shows a single individual in the aftermath of a horrific attack, the contrast between the scenes helps viewers understand the differing scales of devastation without minimizing the individual suffering. We also wish to pay tribute to photographers reporting on this war, who are subjected to huge amounts of trauma, risk, and personal loss, particularly in Gaza.”
