PERPIGNAN, France 

Palestinian photographer Loay Ayyoub won the top prize Sunday at the Visa pour l'image festival in Perpignan, France, one of the world's most prestigious photojournalism competitions.

Ayyoub was awarded for his powerful photograph depicting the human suffering in Gaza.

In his acceptance speech, delivered via video conference, he dedicated the award to "all journalists and Palestinians who have been killed while carrying out their duties in Gaza."

His reference to the Palestinian group Hamas as the "resistance movement of Palestine" during his speech drew a reaction from Perpignan's far-right mayor, Louis Aliot, who called for the award to be rescinded.

However, the festival's organizers rejected Aliot's demand.

Jean-Francois Leroy, the director of the Visa pour l'image festival, defended the jury's decision in an interview with Spain's EFE news agency.

"Our jury consists of international photo editors and experts. Whether I agree with them or not, I have always respected their decisions," he said.

Leroy also highlighted the challenges faced by foreign media in Gaza, noting that Israel has restricted their work, leaving local journalists as the primary source of information from the conflict zone.