LONDON, Saturday, December 29, 2018 (WAFA) – Palestinian protester, Gaza City, was among the best photographs of 2018 picked by the British newspapers, the Guardian.

The picture, captured on October 22 by Mustafa Hassouna, a photographer with the Turkish Anadolu Agency, shows a bare-chested Palestinian man holding a giant Palestinian flag with his right hand and in his left a stone-loaded slingshot ready to release at Israeli soldiers on the other side of the Gaza fence with Israel during one of the ongoing weekly March of Return protests in Gaza. The man in the picture was identified as Ayed Abu Amro, 20, from Beit Lahiya, north of the Gaza Strip.

“I took this picture at a dangerous time in the confrontation between Palestinians and the Israeli army in Gaza City,” wrote Hassouna next to his picture telling the story behind it in what the Guardian said “photographers recall how they captured some of the defining images of the year.”

“I certainly endangered my life – I was on the front lines. It was intense. The Israeli army were firing gas and bullets. But I think it was worth the risk. The protesters are fighting back against years of siege and it is startling to see their anger. They are still there, fighting back. For me, this man brandishing the Palestinian flag shows that they still have a sense of freedom.”

Hassouna was injured on December 14 by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by Israeli soldiers while covering the border protests.

The Committee for Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Hassouna was covering the clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian protesters near the border fence when the Israeli troops began to fire tear gas on the protesters.

"I was suddenly hit by rubber bullet fired by the Israeli army and fell down. I could no longer stand on my leg. I was taken to an ambulance that took me to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza for treatment. I had a wound and a bruise and a sharp pain. After two hours I was discharged," he said.

Hassouna’s “Palestinian protester” picture went viral on social media when it was first released in October. It was described as “iconic” as it was compared with another iconic painting from the French Revolution, “Liberty Leading the People”. Commentaries also compared it to the image of David Vs Goliath.

M.K.