Coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has expanded significantly in recent weeks, triggering mounting international criticism of Israel and ultimately prompting a policy shift: Under the direction of the political echelon, the IDF conducted its first humanitarian aid airdrop into Gaza, announced daily “humanitarian pauses” in fighting, and coordinated secure aid corridors with the UN. However, some of the distressing images circulated from Gaza appear to be part of an effort to reinforce the “famine narrative.”
Among the most influential visuals was a photo of 18-month-old Palestinian toddler Muhammad al-Matouq, taken by journalist Ahmad al-Arini. The image—showing the child in a makeshift diaper made from a black trash bag held by his mother—was widely published by major outlets including CNN, The New York Times, Sky News, The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Times, and the BBC. Even the pro-Israel Daily Express featured it.
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Gazan toddler Muhammad al-Matouq, who suffers from genetic diseases, with his mother Huda
(Photo: Ahmad al-Arini of Anadolu)
“I took the photo to show the world the extreme hunger faced by babies and children in Gaza,” al-Arini told the BBC. He said he found the boy and his mother living in a tent in Gaza City after being displaced from northern Gaza, with little more than a small stove inside. He claimed the toddler had dropped from 9 kg to 6 kg—about half the healthy weight for his age—and had never received breast milk, infant formula or supplements.
Al-Arini described the tent as “resembling a grave,” emphasizing the visual as symbolic of Gaza’s plight. But investigative journalist David Collier published a detailed report revealing that the child suffers not from starvation, but from rare genetic conditions—including cerebral palsy and blood oxygen deficiency. Collier based his findings on a medical report from the Basma Association for Aid in Gaza, signed by Dr. Saeed Mohammed al-Nassan, which stated the boy has required nutritional supplements since birth in December 2023—two months after the war began—and that his medical condition stems from chronic illness affecting muscle tone, movement and posture.
Collier also pointed out that al-Arini’s photo omits the boy’s older brother Jude, age 3, who appears healthy in other, less widely distributed images. He noted that Muhammad’s mother, Huda, also shows no signs of severe malnutrition that would suggest an overall family food crisis.
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Gazan toddler Muhammad al-Matouq, who suffers from genetic diseases, with his mother Huda
(Photo: Ahmad al-Arini of Anadolu)
Collier criticized the BBC for airing a 64-second interview with Huda that omitted any mention of the child’s underlying genetic conditions. “Even in the clip, the mother alludes to long-standing struggles and physical therapy treatments,” he wrote. “The child’s spinal curvature strongly suggests cerebral palsy—but the BBC narrator never addresses it, leading viewers to believe the child’s condition is purely a result of famine.”
Media outlets, including The New York Times, also reported that the child’s father, Zakariya al-Maatouq, was killed on October 28 while “searching for food.” Collier’s investigation found he died in a targeted Israeli strike in Jabalya’s al-Kasasib Street—a site of active combat at the time. Between October 25–29, six IDF soldiers were killed there. Hamas videos from the area show terrorist operations during that period, raising doubts about claims the father was simply “looking for food.” Global media largely omitted this context, reinforcing the humanitarian crisis narrative.
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Collier emphasized that Hamas routinely exploits the civilian population as propaganda tools, with control over humanitarian aid distribution serving as a major source of income for the group. He also accused UN agencies and NGOs operating in Gaza of cooperating with Hamas. He claimed some organizations imposed unworkable conditions on aid shipments, causing them to be abandoned and rot, while others demanded Hamas provide security for aid workers—effectively ensuring the group’s control over the supplies.
In another example of global media involvement, the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano published a front-page photo last Thursday of a malnourished child under the headline “Is This a Child?”—a direct reference to Primo Levi’s Holocaust memoir "If This Is a Man" (Later retitled "Survival in Auschwitz").The article included an interview with Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, who accused the Italian government of complicity in Israel’s alleged “starvation policy.”
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Gazan child Osama al-Raqab suffers from cystic fibrosis and is being cared for in Italy
However, further investigation revealed the child in the image, Osama al-Raqab, suffers from cystic fibrosis. The photo was taken in April, and he has been in Italy since June 11, thanks to humanitarian and diplomatic efforts by the Italian government that also brought several other ill children out of Gaza.
The following day, Il Fatto Quotidiano doubled down with a follow-up article by student reporter Aya Ashour, recently relocated from Gaza to Italy, who claimed to have interviewed the boy’s mother. She alleged the child was “suffering terribly” and was being treated at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis—even though he has been in Italy for over a month, and his health has since improved.