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| Devastating image of people in Gaza |
On October 7, after years of oppression, Hamas unexpectedly entered Israel's territory. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, which have gotten more intense over the past few weeks and are being deemed by international experts to be genocide, using the incident as a pretext to destroy Hamas.
Market places, residential areas, hospitals, and shelters have all been completely demolished. Additionally, Israel has blocked aid, making it harder for Palestinians to survive by depriving them of food, medicine, and other necessities.
As 2023 comes to a close Times Magazine revealed the top 10 photos of the year and among them were the two photos from Gaza territory and these images shook the world.
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| A young girl stuck under her house rubble after it was bombed by Israeli airstrikes, Al Nusairat refugee camp, Oct. 31 |
The first image is taken by famous Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza. He is well-known for his unceasing coverage of the Gazan people. With over 17 million followers on Instagram alone, this photographer has amassed a sizable social media following. His images offer a glimpse into the carnage and destruction wreaking havoc on Gaza and its people.
He came upon a small girl at the Al Nusairat refugee camp in late October who was trapped beneath the debris of a house following an Israeli airstrike. Through a hole in the debris, he could see her, but Azaiza was unable to determine if she was still alive because of how dark it was inside.
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| Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 17 |
Photographer Mohammed Salem was at Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital on October 17th, recording the fallout from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. He saw Inas Abu Maamar looking for missing family members while taking pictures of grieving families in its mortuary. She was so full of grief.
Salem was conflicted as he captured the photo of her embracing her 5-year-old niece Saly's body. "Stop taking such pictures so I wouldn't get more affected," he says, "or continue to tell the story."
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