Pulitzer-winning photographer Saher Alghorra captures the human toll of Gaza through stark, intimate images of life amid genocide. [Getty]
Palestinian photographer Saher Alghorra has won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for his documentation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with judges praising his work as “haunting” and “sensitive”.
Alghorra, a contributor to The New York Times, was recognised on Monday for a series capturing starvation and destruction in the enclave following Israel’s genocidal campaign since October 2023.
Pulitzer Prizes Administrator Marjorie Miller highlighted the importance of independent journalism during the announcement, pointing to growing political and economic pressures on the media, including restrictions on access and legal challenges facing news organisations in the United States.
Alghorra’s work, titled ‘Trapped in Gaza: Between Fire and Famine’, has also received international recognition, including first prize for war photography at the Prix Bayeux Calvados-Normandie awards in France last year.
Other finalists in the breaking news photography category included Reuters photographers for coverage of US immigration enforcement and the Los Angeles Times for images of deadly wildfires in California.
Beyond the Gaza coverage, this year’s Pulitzer Prizes recognised a range of investigations into political power and global surveillance.
Staff at The New York Times won the investigative reporting award for exposing alleged conflicts of interest involving US President Donald Trump. Moreover, Reuters took the national reporting prize for documenting the use of government influence to expand executive authority.
Reuters journalists Jeff Horwitz and Engen Tham also won the beat reporting prize for revealing how Meta exposed users, including children, to scams and AI-driven manipulation.
In public service, The Washington Post was awarded for its reporting on a “chaotic overhaul” of federal agencies. At the same time, The Associated Press won the international reporting prize for an investigation into global surveillance technologies developed in Silicon Valley and deployed worldwide.
A special citation was awarded to Miami Herald journalist Julie K. Brown for her reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, which exposed systemic abuse and the legal structures that enabled it.
Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are among the most prestigious awards in journalism, recognising outstanding reporting, photography and public service.
