A widely circulated image of a malnourished Palestinian child used by The New York Times has turned out to be misleading. The child has a severe muscle disorder, not starvation, as falsely implied by the newspaper and others.
Key Facts:
- The New York Times featured an emaciated child on its front page, suggesting he was starving in Gaza.
- The child, Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, actually suffers from a muscle disorder requiring special nutrition and therapy.
- Honest Reporting and others pointed out that family members in the same photos appeared healthy and well-fed.
- The Times later added an editor’s note admitting the child had “pre-existing health problems.”
- Other media also used misleading images of children with medical conditions like cystic fibrosis to promote the starvation narrative.
The Rest of The Story:
The New York Times ran a front-page photo of a severely thin child in Gaza, strongly suggesting he was a victim of starvation due to Israel’s actions.
But after publication, they admitted in a public statement that the boy, Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, had “pre-existing health problems.”
As Honest Reporting and others quickly uncovered, Mohammed’s condition was due to a muscular disorder.
His mother confirmed to CNN that he requires specific care and therapy unrelated to starvation.
Other children in the same household, including his brother, appeared healthy in the photos, which raised more doubts.
This image was one of several shared by global outlets over the weekend, many of which were later shown to feature children suffering from chronic illnesses—not famine.
One photo showed a child with cystic fibrosis who had actually received treatment in Italy thanks to help from Israel.
Left: The New York Times knowingly exploiting a child with a congenital disease to incite its readers against Jews to aid Hamas.
Right: The clarification in which they admit what they did—but don’t apologize—and which won’t be a full cover spread like the blood libel was.
Evil https://t.co/p55zlXYlMY pic.twitter.com/IKrGU5QOBj
— Saul Sadka (@Saul_Sadka) July 30, 2025
Commentary:
This is not journalism.
It’s propaganda dressed up in a heartstring-tugging package.
The New York Times, once again, proved willing to twist the truth to advance a political narrative—this time, by exploiting the image of a sick child and implying it was caused by Israeli policy.
The truth is far more disturbing. Mohammed isn’t starving—he has a serious medical condition.
But that fact didn’t matter to legacy media desperate to frame Israel as the villain. And in their rush to do so, they glossed over or entirely omitted the truth.
Why? Because it fits a predetermined script that blames Israel for all suffering in Gaza while conveniently ignoring Hamas’s role.
Hamas stockpiles and loots aid, refuses to release hostages, and uses civilians as shields.
Yet the outrage is directed at Israel—who, in several cases, helped these same children get care.
It’s perverse. A child with a muscle disorder was turned into a symbol of Israeli cruelty, when in reality, Israel has often been the only lifeline for medical care in Gaza.
The photo-op strategy isn’t new, but the sheer volume of falsehoods being passed off as journalism is reaching dangerous levels.
And yes—people in Gaza are suffering. But the cause isn’t solely Israel’s blockade or bombing campaigns.
It’s Hamas, who hoards food, restricts distribution, and plays a deadly game with civilian lives.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Israeli efforts continue to funnel aid that rarely reaches those in need.
If there were any journalistic integrity left in the legacy press, they’d retract the lies and apologize to readers.
But don’t hold your breath. Ideological devotion has replaced facts, and smearing Israel has become sport for much of the mainstream press.
The Bottom Line:
The New York Times falsely presented a medical case as an example of starvation to accuse Israel of causing a humanitarian crisis.
In reality, the child has a known disorder, and Israel has played a role in aiding many such children.
Once again, ideology has triumphed over truth in the media’s rush to demonize Israel—while the real culprits, Hamas and their terror allies, go ignored.
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