Backlash over ‘honored’ pix
Hamas hostage snap takes prize
A sickening image of Hamas terrorists parading a slain woman’s near-naked body through the streets of Gaza has been awarded a prestigious photo prize — sparking fierce outrage.
The grim photo featuring Shani Louk’s body was among a collection of 20 images that helped The Associated Press secure first place in one of the Pictures of the Year International award categories earlier this month.
The awards, which are run by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, are self-described as being the world’s oldest photojournalism competition.
News of the AP’s win in the Team Picture Story of the Year category prompted widespread backlash on social media.
“I am DISGUSTED, SHOCKED and ENRAGED that this @AP image of a murdered Shani Louk from October 7th was given picture of the year,” one social media user posted on X. “This is the value of Israeli women to you?”
“This is just wrong and sick,” another user raged.
Louk, a 23-year-old German Israeli tattoo artist, was among the innocent music festivalgoers taken hostage and/or slain when Hamas terrorists carried out their deadly Oct. 7 onslaught. She became one of the faces of the war after the shocking images of her lifeless body on the back of a pickup truck started going viral.
Israeli authorities later confirmed she had been beheaded by her captors.
In announcing the AP’s win, award organizers posted the unblurred image of Louk’s lifeless body on their Instagram page. The photo appears to have since been deleted in the wake of backlash.
Some said the competition was dishonoring Louk’s memory.
“The family of Oct 7 victim Shani Louk want her to be remembered alive & smiling,” one user wrote on X. “One of the world’s biggest photojournalism prizes, ran by @RJI, trampled on their wishes, awarding an @AP photo of her mutilated body.”
Another tweeted: “This is how we choose to remember the beautiful Shani Louk. We will not allow her memory to be trampled by the inhuman thugs celebrating the AP photo of her tragic murder.”
Many took aim at Ali Mahmud, the freelance photojournalist who snapped the image.
“He is being celebrated for taking this photo of murder-rapist terrorists with the brutalized and contorted body of Shani Louk,” one X user noted.
Pictures of the Year International organizers didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.