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The top photographs from the Middle East and neighboring areas, as featured by the Associated Press in 2025, reflect war, perseverance, and instances of serene beauty. These 35 pictures, captured in Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates, showcase a year filled with upheaval.

Photographers captured the human impact of war and violence: civilians impacted by the Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank, destruction and loss of life in Gaza, and hostages released from Gaza. In Lebanon, a child wounded by an exploding pager during an Israeli strike aimed at Hezbollah members highlights the personal price of warfare. In Syria, the aftermath of a bomb attack on a church and a toppled statue of former Syrian President Hafez Assad are contrasted with the excitement of a night out at a bar.

Instances of happiness and amazement also emerge — kids having fun on a carnival ride under the moon in Iraq, and a pair preparing to step onto a boat in Istanbul.

A unique tribute pays homage to Palestinian photographer Mariam Dagga, who lost her life in an Israeli attack in Gaza in August. A 2023 photograph of her laughing while taking a selfie with children at a school for displaced individuals in southern Gaza is placed next to one of her own photographs — the funeral of a five-year-old child who succumbed to malnutrition — emphasizing the dangers that journalists encounter while reporting on the conflict and daily life in the area.

These images provide a clear depiction of 2025: a year marked by contradictions, challenges and bravery, perseverance and strength, and the individuals who keep adjusting and maintaining hope.