The Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Mustafa Hassona
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August 18, 2024
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August 19, 2024
News of Conflict
The 2023 Israeli-Palestine conflict, where over 21,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women, were killed, is captured in Mustafa Hassona's images. Hassona is a photographer based in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and has worked for the Anadolu Agency since 2007. The images shot by him are not merely stills with no stories; they are narratives in a visual of violence and destruction that have become a daily reality for many in locations of conflict.
His series; "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict" shows the destruction of entire neighborhoods with displacements of hundreds to thousands of innocents. His photographs depict them with a raw honesty that forces a confrontation with the uncomfortable truth of what war brings: death and sadness.
Moreover, his photographs reveal the immense suffering inflicted upon the Palestinian population, the relentless bombardment that turns homes flat, and the desperate flee from violence. Hassona's stills-of-conflict presents to the global audience a powerful reminder of the horrors of war, capturing the tragic realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his view and images, each photograph conveys the indiscriminate nature of war, where age, race, and status serve no protection in times of war.
In the face of war and conflict, the innocent; particularly the children and women, bear the brunt of the suffering when the men and boys go off to fight for their loved ones.
Hassona's work transcends the boundaries of geography, bringing the harsh realities of the conflict to those far removed from it. The photographs do not just document events; they evoke a profound emotional response, urging viewers to confront the brutality that is often sanitized in news reports. The devastation in Gaza, as captured by Hassona, highlights the grim consequences of military actions that show no regard for human life. Buildings reduced to rubble, lives lost, and families torn apart are common threads throughout his work.
Hassona's photography serves as a vital reminder that war does not discriminate. It does not spare the young, the old, or the innocent. His work calls for the reflection on the global implications of such conflicts, urging a deeper understanding of the human cost of war.
Credits
Entry Title: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Photographer: Mustafa Hassona
Winning Category: New York Photography - Editorial
Read about the Luminaries of Lens: 2023 New York Photography Awards’ Photographers of the Year here.
