Outrage Sparks as Photo of Hamas Members with Naked Body of Murdered Shani Louk Wins Top Award

New Delhi: A row has erupted after the image of Hamas terrorists with the near-naked body of murdered hostage Shani Louk won a top award sparking a fresh debate. Shani Louk was taken hostage after the terror group’s surprise attack on Israel that later led to massive bloodshed in the Gaza Strip post Israel’s offensive in the region.

The sickening image has now been awarded the first prize in ‘Team Picture Story of the Year’ award categories, a New York Post report said.

The image shows German-Israeli Shani Louk’s body, in near-naked condition, with Hamas gunmen celebrating and touting guns. The phot was among a collection of 20 images that helped the Associated Press secure first place in the award, run by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, the NY Post report added.

Notably, this awards are self-described as being the world’s oldest photojournalism competition.

The win has now received widespread criticism on social media with people expressing shock over the development and many calling it “outrageous desecration of Jewish life,” the NY Post report said.

“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 userposted on X. “This is the value of Israeli women to you?” the user added.

“This is just wrong and sick,” said another.

Former Head of Speechwriting at Israel mission to the UN, Aviva Klompas sought punishment for the photographer for clicking the image. “The AP photographer who accompanied jihadi barbarians on their October 7 invasion of Israel has been awarded a prestigious photography prize,” she said.

“He is being celebrated for taking this photo of murder-rapist-terrorists with the brutalized and contorted body of Shani Louk. Seems to me he should be going to jail, not getting a prize,” she added.

23-year-old Louk was first reported missing from the music festival from where Hamas militants took many hostage on Oct 7. She quickly became one of the faces of the war after the petrifying images of her lifeless body on the back of pickup truck went viral.

Later, Israeli authorities confirmed she was tragically beheaded by her captors.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)