20 powerful photos that defined 2017 for the Arab world

Iconic 16-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi was arrested on Dec. 19 in a pre-dawn raid by at least 30 Israeli soldiers. 

Her faint smile as she was escorted to military court a day after her arrest showed reassurance, hope, and courage. 

A Yemeni school boy walks head down as he passes by an armed man and kid. The armed boy in blue stares at the student, as it shows a gap between educated and uneducated young people in Yemen. 

Surrounded by 20 or so Israeli soldiers, the photo of the unarmed 16-year-old Palestinian, Fawzi Muhammad Al-Juneidi, who was arrested on Dec. 8 by Israeli soldiers went viral. It portrays the power imbalance in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

A young Egyptian football fan dancing on crutches at the army stadium in Burj Al Arab after the qualification of Egypt for the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.

70-year-old Mohammed Mohiedin Anis smokes his pipe as he sits amid the rubble of his destroyed bedroom listening to his vinyl discs in Aleppo's al-Shaar neighborhood on March 9.

On December 6, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In the picture, Trump holds a signed statement endorsing the transfer of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The city of Mosul in Iraq is left in ruins after the ongoing conflict to retake the city from ISIS, on July 14. 

A picture reflecting the crucial reality of Rohingya refugees. A refugee boy, desperate for help, cries as he climbs on a truck distributing aid for a local NGO near the Balukhali refugee camp on Sept. 20.

One of the most viral photos of this year was that of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, placing their hands on a glowing globe. 

The picture was taken during the opening of an anti-extremist center, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and took over social media with multiple interpretations. 

This photo was taken on November 25 of Al-Rawda mosque, west of Al-Arish - the capital of Egypt's northern Sinai - after a deadly attack on worshipers took place, leaving over 300 people dead and 128 wounded.

This photo was taken during July protests that saw thousands of Palestinians pray near Al-Aqsa mosque in defiance of Israeli authorities banning Muslim men under the age of 50 from entering it. 

This moving image was taken as part of a series capturing a Ramadan iftar feast held in the Syrian besieged town of Douma - a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus. 

One of the most circulated photos of this season's hajj pilgrimage: A photo of a niqab-wearing woman providing shade to a man in the holy city of Mecca. 

This image of Egypt's Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, summed up the devastation left behind by horrific Palm Sunday attacks on two coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria. 

The twin bomb attacks left at least 49 people dead and hundreds others injured.

Brazilian photojournalist Felipe Dana took this photo while covering the recapture of Mosul from ISIS militants in 2017. 

This viral photo was captured in Egypt, just days after a 13-storey block of flats collapsed into an adjacent building in Alexandria's Azarita district.

The tower wasn't immediately demolished by authorities and became somewhat of an attraction, with tens of people gathering in its surrounding area every night to watch as it slowly collapsed.

This iconic image of Al Kaaba during this year's hajj pilgrimage was captured by Saudi photographer Ammar Al Amir. 

In September, the photo was listed as a 'Top Shot' on the National Geographic Photography. 

This photo of Muslim Iraqi women lighting candles inside a church they helped rebuild in Mosul went viral as part of a series of images shared by Facebook page, 'This is Christian Iraq.'

Taken by freelance French-Lebanese photojournalist Patrick Baz, this photo of a bride and groom water skiing in Lebanon took social media by storm. 

The photo was taken off the coast of Jounieh with the couple dressed in their wedding attire.

In December 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump, declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, leading thousands of Palestinians to protest the move in the streets. 

Out of those who defied the declaration were a few Christian protestors, who cancelled their Christmas celebrations and took to the streets in full Santa Claus costumes.