Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
  • 4 days ago
How a photo of a skeletal child sparked controversy about starvation in Gaza

It's been widely established that there is severe starvation in Gaza, but the misreporting of a photo of a Palestinian child has caused criticism of the media's reporting of the crisis.

READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/08/04/how-a-photo-of-a-skeletal-child-sparked-controversy-about-starvation-in-gaza

Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
Transcript
00:00How a photo of a skeletal child sparked controversy about starvation in Gaza.
00:08A photo of an emaciated Gazan child wearing a bin bag has caused huge controversy, both
00:14for what it shows about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the true nature of the boy's condition.
00:20The New York Times published the shocking image of Mohammed Zakaria Al-Mutawak on its
00:25front page with the headline, young, old and sick starved to death in Gaza, there is nothing.
00:31Other high profile media outlets were quick to republish the photo, drawing worldwide condemnation
00:37of Israel's blockade of food and medicine into Gaza.
00:40However, independent journalists and news organisations soon began reporting that they'd
00:45seen medical documents revealing that Mohammed had a serious disorder that affected his health,
00:50with some identifying it as cerebral palsy.
00:53The New York Times later issued a clarification that Mohammed had been diagnosed with a pre-existing
00:58health condition after consulting his hospital.
01:01This correction and other issues, such as claims that another photo purportedly showed Mohammed's
01:06brother in a much better condition, caused criticism of the media for spinning a narrative about
01:11starvation in Gaza.
01:12However, regardless of Mohammed's illness and the nature of the photo, it's true that people
01:17are starving in Gaza, as repeatedly reported by reputable media outlets and humanitarian
01:23aid groups.
01:24The WHO says that malnutrition in Gaza has reached alarming levels, while the UN has warned of
01:30famine, and US President Donald Trump has acknowledged real starvation there.
01:35Israel has denied that there is any starvation in Gaza, with the Defense Ministry's Kogat unit
01:40accusing Hamas of misrepresenting pictures of allegedly starving children to attribute blame.
01:45This has been refuted by surgeons working in the Strip.
01:49Israel has since allowed airdrops and humanitarian corridors, but aid workers say they have done
01:54little to alleviate the crisis so far.
01:56The end of this age framework is currently referred to as an indicator of complicated social justice
01:59finding and information for human rights.
02:01www.sim�as.ca.gov
02:02testing station
02:03the case
02:05of the U.S.
02:06Well, it's a great deal with the U.S.
02:07Well, you'll be back in the future.
02:08That's the only way, a lot of people who have hidden their minds.
02:09For the U.S.
02:10Well, it's a lot of people who have recognized the U.S.
02:11Well, you'll be back in the future.
02:12It's a lot of people who have seen the U.S.
02:13Well, it's a lot of people who have been up for now.
02:16But it's a lot of people who have been asked for the U.S.
02:18partes team and the U.S.
02:18and the U.S.

Recommended