It’s difficult to imagine anything more heartbreaking than the suffering of a child. That’s why recent images of children in Gaza, circulated by major news outlets, have struck an emotional chord across the globe.
Some of these images have allegedly depicted starving children.
The emotional impact has prompted President Donald Trump to call for increased U.S. humanitarian support in the war-ravaged region. The conflict began when Hamas terrorists in Gaza launched a brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing and abducting hundreds of Israelis. Palestinian civilians are now enduring the fallout from that initial assault.
“We can save a lot of people,” Trump said on July 28 during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. “I mean, some of those kids are – that’s real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can’t fake it.”
But what if you actually can?
New York Times does damage control after misleading image
One photograph in particular, featuring a mother and her child, has ignited controversy.
On July 24, The New York Times published a detailed report online on alleged famine conditions in Gaza, centering on 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq. The photos depicted a visibly malnourished child, his mother at his side attempting to comfort him.
The story ran on the print edition’s front page the following day, July 25, with the same image. The caption claimed the child was “born healthy” but now suffers from “severe malnutrition.”
However, important context was initially omitted.
On July 29—five days after publication—The Times added an editor’s note at the end of the article, along with a brief statement on its communications social media channel, providing crucial updates.
The note clarified that the child suffers from significant “pre-existing health problems.”
“We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems,” a Times spokesperson said. “This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation.”
That’s a generous way to put it.
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The Times wasn’t the only outlet to run the images of Mohammed. CNN and others did too.
Of course, powerful imagery tends to spread fast. These photos turned Mohammed into a symbol of alleged starvation in Gaza.
They also reinforced a prevailing media and progressive narrative that blames Israel for blocking aid to Palestinians in need.
Too many journalists have abandoned truth for advocacy
Fortunately, independent journalists and statements from Israeli officials have helped uncover a fuller picture.
The Israeli government posted an image of the same mother and child—this time alongside the child’s older brother, who appears healthy. The visual contrast strongly suggests that more than just food scarcity is at play in Mohammed’s condition.
“BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza ‒ playing into the hands of Hamas’s propaganda war,” the post stated.
The American public deserves a complete and honest picture. As David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently pointed out on X, a United Nations report found that “87% of its 2,010 food trucks in Gaza (85% by tonnage) from May 19–July 29 were ‘intercepted’ − either peacefully by crowds or forcefully by armed actors.”
In plain terms: Hamas is hijacking aid meant for its own people. That’s newsworthy.
President Trump’s compassion for innocent lives caught in the crossfire—especially children—is entirely justified. But the blame lies squarely with Hamas, not Israel.
As Trump posted on Truth Social on July 31, “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
At the heart of this humanitarian disaster is a militant group that exploits its own people’s suffering for political leverage.
That’s the real tragedy—and it deserves honest reporting.
