Palestinian photographer Mahmoud Abu Hamda has won two major awards at the 2026 Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Award for War Correspondents in France. On October 10, he received the top photography prize from the international jury and the Public’s Choice Award for his work documenting life in Gaza.
His photo series, titled What the War Leaves Behind It, shows the daily struggles of Palestinians affected by the war. One of the winning photographs features a displaced child from Beit Hanoun who fled with his family to a university being used as a shelter. The child brought his birds with him, holding on to a small part of his life before the conflict.
Abu Hamda, who is based in Gaza, submitted the unpublished work directly to the award’s jury. He could not attend the ceremony in northwestern France, so he sent a video message instead. He said he was honoured that his photographs had reached people outside Gaza.
