A haunting photograph of an emaciated Palestinian toddler being held by his mother inside a tent in Gaza’s Al-Shati refugee camp has become a stark symbol of the deepening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave. The image of 18-month-old Mohammed al-Matouq, published by international media outlets including the BBC, CNN, and The New York Times, has drawn global attention to worsening conditions amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
But as the photo circulates around the world, it has also sparked intense backlash and claims of media manipulation. Critics, including pro-Israel commentators, argue the image has been used misleadingly to exaggerate reports of mass starvation in Gaza. They point out that the child reportedly suffers from multiple serious medical conditions—including cerebral palsy and a genetic disorder—and that another, healthier sibling was cropped out of the original photo.
The broader debate is unfolding as Israel and its allies push back on growing international outrage over the humanitarian situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied allegations that Israel is pursuing a starvation policy, stating on Sunday, “There is no starvation in Gaza.”
However, President Donald Trump contradicted Netanyahu’s claim when asked about the photo and the conditions it depicts. “I don’t know. Based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry,” Trump said Monday. “You can’t fake that. There is real starvation in Gaza.”
Media Dispute Erupts
The controversy ignited after the Daily Express featured the image of young Mohammed on its July 23 front page. The photo was later widely circulated by major international media outlets, typically without mention of the child’s reported preexisting conditions.
David Collier, a pro-Israel investigative journalist, accused mainstream media of exploiting the image for political ends. In posts on X (formerly Twitter), Collier cited a May 2025 medical report from Gaza stating Mohammed had cerebral palsy, hypoxia, and a genetic disorder. “You exploited the image of a child with cerebral palsy to push a lie about famine,” Collier said. “You didn’t care about the truth. You saw an image you could use—or abuse—and ran with it.”
The watchdog group Honest Reporting echoed Collier’s claim, accusing news outlets of omitting vital context. “Every outlet that promoted this false narrative must update their coverage to reflect the full truth: Muhammad has a medical condition,” the group said.
Photographer captions from Getty Images described the boy as “sick” and “displaying signs of malnutrition.” A Newsweek review of Getty’s recent Gaza coverage found several other images of children and adults suffering from visible malnutrition.
On the Ground: Humanitarian Toll Mounts
Despite the accusations, humanitarian organizations continue to sound the alarm. UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told Newsweek the conditions in Gaza are dire and worsening rapidly. “Malnutrition is rising, fast, due to the lack of food, safe water, and nutrition treatments,” she said. “Starvation is widespread and it is killing people, especially children.”
Since October 7, 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry—run by Hamas—has recorded 127 deaths due to starvation, including 85 children. Aid groups, including the U.N., say Israeli restrictions are blocking critical food and supplies from reaching civilians.
The Israeli government, however, maintains that aid is being diverted by Hamas. Israel has limited which organizations may operate distribution networks and has blamed the U.N. for failing to coordinate effectively. As global scrutiny intensifies, Israel has authorized new aid drops by Arab states and announced limited daily pauses in military activity to allow humanitarian relief.
The World Food Program welcomed the move but said it’s not nearly enough: “Some 470,000 people are enduring famine-like conditions,” it said. “People are dying due to a lack of humanitarian assistance.”
A Battle Over Perception
As imagery from Gaza floods global news feeds, the power of visual media is once again at the center of a battle over truth and propaganda.
President Trump has repeatedly cited media coverage as shaping his views of the conflict. In a 2024 interview with Israel Hayom, he criticized Israel for releasing footage of its bombing campaign: “These shots of bombs being dropped into buildings in Gaza… that’s a terrible portrait. It’s a very bad picture for the world.”
W.J.T. Mitchell, a media theorist at the University of Chicago, told Newsweek that such images often cut through official denials and PR spin. “They have an immediate impact on the viewer,” he said. “It becomes much harder to deny what is going on.”
But Mitchell warned that the Gaza conflict has also become fertile ground for disinformation. “There is a difference between misinformation—which may just be incorrect—and disinformation, which is intentional,” he said. “And then there’s gaslighting: a strategy to confuse the public and sow distrust.”
A War of Images and Words
The Israeli Defense Forces have pushed back aggressively with their own counter-narratives, including video footage showing Hamas fighters dining underground while civilians above struggle to survive. “Starvation? Only on screens and for propaganda purposes,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Monday. “The tunnels are stocked with food. What about the poor in Gaza? They’re left to gather crumbs.”
He concluded with a sharp rebuke: “The real victims? The civilian population of Gaza, who are used as fuel for a false campaign, tasting of cake and smelling of deceit.”
As the war grinds on and famine conditions intensify, the dispute over a single photograph of a frail toddler underscores a broader information war—one that now threatens to obscure as much as it reveals.
