How Western Media Became a Mouthpiece for Gaza "Hunger" Propaganda

Heart-wrenching images of a severely emaciated Palestinian boy, spread by leading international media outlets as the “face of hunger in Gaza” and “proof” of widespread suffering due to the war, do not tell the full story.

An investigation reveals that the boy, Mohammed Zakaria Ayoub al-Matouq, suffers from multiple genetic disorders and pre-existing medical conditions, a fact entirely overlooked by the vast majority of media coverage.

The chilling image of Mohammed, taken on July 21, 2025, in Gaza, went viral and was disseminated by outlets such as *The New York Times*, NBC News, *The Guardian*, and the BBC. The photos, captured by the Turkish government news agency Anadolu, showed Mohammed’s spine protruding from his small back as his mother held him in her arms.

*The Guardian* captioned the image as “facing life-threatening malnutrition,” while the UK’s *Daily Express* described it as a “horrifying photo embodying the ‘storm of human suffering’ gripping Gaza.” The photographer, Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim al-Arini, told the BBC that Mohammed “represents the situation in Gaza.”

But the pro-Israel group HonestReporting was the first to identify a troubling gap in the reporting: The boy’s older brother, Jude, appeared in the background of the photo, looking in much better health. This led to further details that changed the entire picture.

In a surprising CNN report, Mohammed’s mother told the outlet that her son suffers from a “muscle disorder” requiring special nutrition and physiotherapy. She noted he was “happy” and “able to sit upright” when receiving these treatments. Furthermore, pro-Israel journalist David Collier cited a May 2025 medical report from Gaza stating that Mohammed suffers from “cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and was born with a severe genetic disorder.”

The use of a sick child’s image without disclosing his full medical condition is disturbing, raising questions about the cynical exploitation of human suffering to promote a specific narrative. A post on *The New York Times*’ X account directly asked: “Why are you using a photo of Mohammed al-Matouq, a child with a muscle disorder, as the face of hunger in Gaza?”

It should be noted that the Israeli Foreign Ministry reports facilitating the entry of approximately 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since the blockade was lifted in May, with 700 more trucks awaiting pickup by the UN.

A UN report earlier this month found that 9% of children examined in Gaza clinics suffer from severe malnutrition, up from 6% in June. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry claims 20 children died from malnutrition-related causes in the past three weeks. The UN has accused Israel of stifling aid flow and making relief efforts dangerous for civilians.

On Sunday, the IDF announced a local tactical pause in military operations to allow more aid into Gaza but stated that food distribution within Gaza is the responsibility of the UN and international aid organizations, who must ensure aid does not reach Hamas.

Trump says he will become increasingly involved in solving Gaza's starvation crisis, which he says can't be denied, even as Bibi says differently.

Credit: *The New York Post*