Belal Alsabbagh, 33, and Youssef Hassouna, 47, were honored in the “News” category for their video coverage of the war that began on October 7, 2023.
The jury praised “an outstanding visual report” and a “powerful story, imbued with empathy, courage and talent”.
Among the photos, we find that of a man desperately searching for a loved one under the rubble, a woman screaming in front of a corpse in a hospital, and even Gazans queuing for food.
“The work of Belal and Youssef is remarkable thanks to its range of emotions. And we understood the terrible scale of the destruction thanks to their drone images,” further commented the jury who spoke of “unforgettable scenes”.
“Everyone at AFP is extremely proud of Belal and the work of his colleagues in Gaza. This award is a well-deserved reward for their excellent journalism in seemingly impossible conditions,” commented Phil Chetwynd, AFP News Director.
“This prize rewards the courage of Belal and Youssef whose images for AFP were shown on televisions around the world the reality of the conflict in Gaza and its consequences for the civilian populations »commented Guillaume Meyer, deputy director of Information in charge of video and audio. “I am very pleased that their commitment and the quality of their work under incredibly difficult conditions have been recognized. The Rory Peck Prize provides valuable support to freelancers without whom we could not work in many countries,” he added.
Belal al-Sabbagh, who left Gaza in April with his wife and daughter and was able to be present in London for the ceremony, began working with the AFP in late 2017. In September 2024, he was nominated for the prestigious Bayeux Prize for War Correspondents.
“Despite my overflowing joy this evening, my heart is heavy because members of my family and friends are still in Gaza and must face hunger, fear and still flee the bombs,” he commented.
Youssef Hassouna has been a freelancer for AFP since 2014 and is still in Gaza, where he has already been displaced ten times. Since the start of the war, he has been one of the main independent video journalists working for the AFP on the ground.
This is the sixth time since 2014 that an AFP collaborator has won the Rory Peck prize, launched in 1995 by the foundation created in memory of the independent videographer, killed during an armed crisis in Moscow in 1993.
Among the three finalists in the “News” category was also Luckenson Jeana freelancer for AFP who covered Haiti plunged into violence after armed gangs went on the rampage in Port-au-Prince.
The Rory Peck Prize recognizes the best independent image reporters in the news world. The awards ceremony is one of the foundation's main fundraising events.
