Week in pictures: From Israel’s Gaza killings to Russian strikes in Ukraine
The past week unfolded through stark and often harrowing images, as conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe continued to dominate the global news cycle, leaving civilians at the centre of unfolding violence.
In Gaza, photographs showed scenes of devastation following renewed Israeli military operations across the enclave. Images captured collapsed residential buildings, smoke rising over densely populated neighbourhoods, and rescue workers searching through rubble for survivors. Palestinian health officials reported dozens of deaths during the week, including women and children, as air strikes intensified amid stalled ceasefire negotiations. Hospitals, already strained by months of war, were seen operating under extreme conditions, with shortages of fuel, medical supplies and staff.
Across the border in Israel, images reflected heightened security and tension, with emergency services responding to rocket alerts and communities remaining on edge as fighting continued. The conflict, now stretching into another year, has drawn increasing international concern over civilian casualties and humanitarian access to Gaza.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, photographs documented the aftermath of fresh Russian missile and drone strikes on major cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. Apartment blocks with shattered windows, burned vehicles, and emergency crews working through the night illustrated the continued impact of the war on civilian life. Ukrainian officials said air defences intercepted many incoming projectiles, but damage to energy infrastructure once again raised fears of prolonged power disruptions.
Images from eastern Ukraine showed soldiers entrenched along frozen frontlines, while civilians in nearby towns lined up for aid and heating supplies as winter conditions deepened hardships. Russian authorities, for their part, released images highlighting military operations, though independent verification of battlefield claims remained difficult.
Elsewhere, photographs from global capitals reflected diplomatic efforts to address the conflicts. Leaders were seen meeting on the sidelines of international forums, while protesters in cities from London to Istanbul called for an end to the violence in Gaza and Ukraine.
Together, the week’s images offered a powerful visual account of conflicts that continue to reshape lives far beyond the frontlines. As diplomacy struggles to keep pace with events on the ground, these photographs serve as a reminder of the human cost behind the headlines — a cost measured not in strategy or territory, but in lives disrupted and lost.
For more such articles, please follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
