Swedish photographer Paul Hansen won the 2012 World Press Photo award Friday for a photograph of two Palestinian children who were allegedly killed last November shortly after an Israeli missile hit the area.
The World Press Photo organization described the photograph in a news release saying, "The picture shows a group of men carrying the bodies of two dead children through a street in Gaza City. They are being taken to a mosque for the burial ceremony while their father’s body is carried behind on a stretcher. Two-year-old Suhaib Hijazi and his older brother Muhammad were killed when their house was destroyed by an Israeli missile strike. Their mother was put in intensive care."
Hansen shot the photo for the Swedish daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter.
In total, 52 photographers from 32 nations were bestowed with awards during the 56th annual World Press Photo contest-- one of photojournalism's most prestigious competitions.
The photo was taken during Israel’s eight-day defensive military operation in November against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip who were launching a barrage of unremitting rocket attacks against the Jewish State.