The Children of Gaza أطفال غزة

• Prize
  Bronze in Press/War / Conflict
• Photographer
  Maya Hed, Israel
• Studio
  Maya Hed Photography
• Website
  https://www.mayahed.com/
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/mayahed_/

Standing Togetherنقف معًا is a movement uniting Jews and Palestinians against the occupation and for peace, equality, and justice. Each week in Jaffa—a historically mixed city where Jewish and Arab communities live side by side—they gather for a two-hour protest beside the Greenhouse—once an IDF courthouse, now a wall of grief, covered in photographs of children killed in Gaza. Palestinians who lost family in the war stand holding their loved ones’ images. Many of their families fled to Gaza in 1948, while others remained in Israel. Their pain is deep, their presence a cry for life over death.

Maya Hed was born in Los Angeles and moved to Israel in the late 1990s, studying photography at Kiryat Ono College. She specializes in portraiture, creating long-term series with natural light to capture authentic emotions and personal stories. Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions at the Israeli Opera, Hava Rosenberg Gallery, and The Scots Hotel, and in over 50 group exhibitions worldwide. She has received awards from IPA, PX3, BIFA, TIFA, and LICC, and works as a freelance documentarian in Tel Aviv.

Awards 2025:
PX3- Won a Bronze Award, a Silver Award an Honorable Mention.
IPA- Received two Honorable Mentions.

2024:
PX3- Won a Bronze Award and received an Honorable Mention.
IPA- Won 3rd place and received an Honorable Mention.
BIFA- Won a Silver Award and received an Honorable Mention.
TIFA- Won a Silver Award.
LICC- 3 projects were included in the Official Selection in SHOOT(Photo/Video) two were included in the finalists.

2023:
PX3 2023- Won a Gold Award.
IPA 2023- Won 2nd place and received an Honorable Mention.
TIFA 2023- Won a Silver and Bronze Award.
BIFA 2023- Won a Gold Award and Honorable Mention.
LICC 2023- Was included in the Official Selection in SHOOT(Photo/Video) for five projects and two were included in the Shot List.

2022:
TIFA 2022- Won a Silver Award and Honorable Mention
BIFA 2022- Won a Silver Award and two Honorable Mentions.
IPA 2022- Received an Honorable Mention.
LICC 2022- Was included in the Official Selection in SHOOT(Photo/Video) for four projects.

2021
Won an Honorable Mention from PX3 - The Prix de la Photographie in Fine Art- Abstract.

Won an Honorable Mention from The International Photography Awards™ in People- Lifestyle.

Won an Honorable Mention from Budapest International Foto Awards in People-Lifestyle.

Won a Bronze Award from Budapest International Foto Awards in People-Lifestyle.

Won an Honorable Mention from Tokyo International Foto Awards in People-Lifestyle.

Won an Honorable Mention from Tokyo International Foto Awards in People-Lifestyle.

Was included in the London International Creative Competition Official Selection in SHOOT (Photo/Video).

Was included in the London International Creative Competition Official Selection in SHOOT (Photo/Video).