AP’s Top 35 Middle East Photos of 2025: Conflict, Courage and Quiet Wonder

The Associated Press’ most powerful images from the Middle East and neighboring countries in 2025 document a year of conflict, resilience and unexpected moments of beauty. Shot across Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, the 35 photographs together tell a turbulent, human story.

Scenes of War and Its Human Cost

Photographers captured the heavy toll of violence: widespread devastation and deaths in Gaza, civilians affected by an Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank, and hostages returning from Gaza. In Lebanon, a striking image shows a child wounded by an exploding pager in a strike targeting Hezbollah members — a small, intimate example of the conflict's civilian impact. Syria is represented by the aftermath of a church bombing and a fallen statue of former President Hafez Assad, juxtaposed with images of everyday nightlife.

Everyday Life and Quiet Moments

The gallery also highlights routine and culture: children studying the Quran in an Afghan madrassa, a traditional bull race in Pakistan, cyclists training in the UAE and an Afghan child living in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Simple joys and small wonders appear as well — children riding an amusement-park attraction by moonlight in Iraq and a couple about to board a ferry in Istanbul.

Tribute To A Fallen Photojournalist

A special tribute honors Palestinian photographer Mariam Dagga, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza in August. The tribute pairs a 2023 photo of Dagga smiling as she takes a selfie with children at a school sheltering displaced people with one of her own images: the funeral of a 5-year-old who died of malnutrition. The side-by-side display underscores the risks journalists face while documenting life amid conflict.

"These images offer a vivid record of 2025: scenes of hardship and courage, resilience and endurance, and of people continuing to adapt and hope," the gallery notes.

About This Gallery

The 35-image collection was curated by Benjamin Snyder and Enric Marti. Together the photographs provide a balanced, harrowing and often tender visual chronicle of a year defined by contrasts.