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A photo of an emaciated Gazan child wearing a bin bag has caused huge controversy, both for what it shows about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and the true nature of the boy’s condition.
The New York Times published the shocking image of Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq on its front page with the headline “Young, old and sick starve to death in Gaza: There is nothing”.
Other high-profile media outlets, such as the BBC, CNN and The Guardian, were quick to republish the photo, drawing worldwide condemnation of Israel’s blockade of food and medicine into Gaza.
However, independent journalists and news organisations soon began reporting that they had seen medical documents revealing that Mohammed had a serious disorder that affected his health, with some identifying it as cerebral palsy.
Freelance investigative journalist David Collier took to X to say that the photo of Mohammad was that of a “medically vulnerable child whose tragic situation was hijacked and weaponised”. He also noted that in a separate photo, Mohammad’s brother could be seen in apparently much better condition.
The New York Times later issued a clarification that Mohammed had been diagnosed with a pre-existing health condition, after consulting his hospital.
“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 spokesperson for the newspaper said. “This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation.”
Many other outlets using the photo did not issue a retraction or clarifying note. The whole issue, among others, caused criticism of the media for spinning a narrative about starvation in Gaza.
The photo was taken by freelance photographer Ahmeed al-Arini, who was working for the Turkish news agency Anadolu. It was then uploaded to photo wire service Getty Images.
Gaza is starving
However, regardless of Mohammed’s illness and the nature of the photo, it is true that people are starving in Gaza, as repeatedly reported by reputable media outlets and humanitarian aid groups.
The boy’s mother, Hedaya al-Muta, has spoken to the media to confirm her son’s medical history, but also of their lack of access to medicine and food. She added that Mohammed’s weight has severely declined.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says malnutrition in Gaza has reached “alarming levels”.
There have been at least 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, according to the WHO. Of this total, 63 occurred in July, including 24 children under five, a child over five, and 38 adults.
“Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,” the organisation said. “The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”
The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has even said that “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip”, and that failure to act now will result in “widespread death” there.
United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged “real starvation” in Gaza, despite Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that that is not the case.
Israel has consistently denied that there is any starvation in Gaza, with the defence ministry’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit, which coordinates humanitarian aid in Gaza, accusing Hamas of misrepresenting pictures of allegedly starving children to attribute blame.
COGAT’s X account has posted various instances of what it says are photos used by Hamas to push the starvation narrative, as well as pictures of the aid and supplies it says it is allowing into Gaza.
Israel has since allowed airdrops and humanitarian corridors, but aid workers say they have done little to alleviate the crisis so far.
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