Jewish woman through the streets of Gaza has sparked widespread outrage after winning a prestigious photojournalism award. The graphic photo, featuring the body of Shani Louk, was among several images that secured first place for the Associated Press (AP) in a category of the Pictures of the Year International awards earlier this month.

The award, bestowed by the US-based Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, has ignited fierce criticism on social media platforms. Many have condemned the use of Louk’s image as an “outrageous desecration of Jewish life.” Louk, a German-Israeli woman, was reportedly abducted to the Gaza Strip during Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack, which triggered a large-scale military campaign by Israel in the Palestinian territory.

Reports indicate that Louk had attended a music festival near the Gaza border, which was one of the first sites targeted by Hamas. She was among dozens of people captured by Hamas members and paraded through the streets in the back of a pickup truck.

“The person who took this photo was part of the jihadist gang who murdered, tortured, and raped civilians. The family didn’t want her remembered like this. This award celebrates her continued desecration. Her name was Shani Louk,” expressed one outraged individual.

Another social media user criticized the involvement of journalists from major news outlets such as AP, CNN, NYT, and Reuters, alleging they accompanied Hamas terrorists into Israel during the October 7 attack and were aware of the situation.

A video that surfaced online in late October depicted a half-naked woman lying unconscious face-down in the back of a pickup truck in Gaza, surrounded by armed men. It was later confirmed that the woman in the video was Shani Louk, who was taken hostage during the attack on a rave party near the Gaza border.

Despite Louk being declared dead, her body has not been returned from Gaza, further adding to the anguish of her family and community.