A horrifically emaciated Palestinian child held up by news outlets as the face of starvation in Gaza actually suffers from genetic and other disorders, which much of the coverage glossed over, according to critics.
The heart-rending photo of Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq made the rounds on outlets including the New York Times, NBC News, The Guardian, BBC and others as evidence that Israel’s war against Hamas has led to the starvation of children in the Palestinian enclave.
But pro-Israel group HonestReporting first spotted something the outlets either didn’t notice or outright ignored: the boy’s older brother, Joud, standing in the background looking like he was in much better condition.
Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images
In a video segment, CNN said Muhammad’s own mother revealed that he suffers from a “muscle disorder” for which he receives specialized nutrition and physical therapy, saying he was “happy” and able to “sit upright” when they were provided.
Pro-Israel journalist David Collier said little Muhammad has “cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and was born with a serious genetic disorder,” citing a May 2025 medical report from Gaza.
In viral photos, taken on July 22 by Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency, Muhammad’s spine protrudes from his tiny back as his mother cradles him in her arms.
The BBC interviewed the image’s photographer, Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim al-Arini, who suggested the photo was representative of the widespread starvation that has taken hold in the Gaza Strip.
The Guardian captioned a photo of Muhammad as “facing life-threatening malnutrition,” while the
UK’s Daily Express described it as “a horrifying image encapsulating the ‘maelstrom of human misery’ gripping Gaza.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry says it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting a blockade in May, and that 700 more are waiting to be picked up by the UN.
A UN report earlier this month asserted that that 9% of children screened at health clinics across Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition — a sharp rise from the 6% found in June.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry claims that 20 children have died from malnutrition related causes in the last three weeks.
The United Nations has also accused Israel of choking the flow of aid and making Israeli and US-backed aid efforts dangerous for civilians.
