One photo, many stories: Image of starving Gaza child sparks global outcry, but what’s the truth behind it?

Image Source: Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu/Getty Images

A haunting image of a frail baby boy from Gaza has gone viral in recent weeks, rapidly becoming the face of the territory’s growing hunger crisis. The image shows a woman clutching her crying child, his emaciated frame so stark that his spine appears to protrude from his thin skin. Carried on the front pages of global newspapers and broadcast by major outlets like the BBC, CNN, and Sky News, the photo has struck a deep emotional chord across the world.

But the viral image of 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq is now at the centre of an intense information war. While international coverage has painted it as a symbol of Gaza’s starvation under Israeli blockade, pro-Israel media and analysts claim that the photo tells an incomplete, and potentially misleading story.

Who is Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq?

The photo was taken by Ahmed al-Arini, a Gaza-based photographer working for Anadolu Agency, the Turkish state news outlet. Speaking to the BBC, Arini confirmed that the child in the image is 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq. He said the picture was taken after the family was displaced from their home in northern Gaza.

“I took this picture to show the rest of the world the extreme hunger that babies and children are suffering from in the Gaza Strip,” Arini told the BBC. He added that Muhammad had been deprived of milk, baby formula, and essential vitamins. The child was living in a makeshift canvas tent that resembled “a tomb,” he said.

“If you look at the photo closely, you will also see that Muhammad is wearing a plastic bag instead of diapers because of the lack of any humanitarian aid and the lack of any medicines,” he said.

Global reaction: Image becomes a symbol of Gaza’s crisis

The image of Muhammad rapidly gained international traction. Outlets such as The Guardian, NBC News, Daily Mail, and The New York Times featured the boy’s story as an emblem of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

The Daily Express called it “a horrifying image encapsulating the ‘maelstrom of human misery’ gripping Gaza,” reporting that the boy weighed as little as a three-month-old baby. The paper noted that at least 12 children had died from malnutrition in the previous 48 hours alone.

The New York Times, quoting Muhammad’s mother Hidaya, reported, “I walk the streets looking for food. As an adult, I can bear the hunger. But my kids can’t.” According to the NYT, she insisted Muhammad was born healthy. “I look at him and I can’t help but cry,” she said. “We go to bed hungry and wake up thinking only about how to find food. I can’t find milk or diapers.”

The image moved many, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “For anyone with any sense of humanity, you have to be moved by that, and you have to acknowledge that every innocent life matters, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian,” Albanese told ABC’s Insiders.

He added, “A one-year-old boy is not a Hamas fighter, and the civilian casualties and death in Gaza is completely unacceptable. That boy isn’t challenging Israel’s right to existence, and nor are the many who continue to suffer from the unavailability of food and water.”

Counterclaims: Is the image misleading?

The photo, however, has come under scrutiny from pro-Israel media figures. British journalist David Collier challenged the widespread interpretation of the image. In a detailed blog post, Collier argued that “this is not the face of famine. It is the face of a medically vulnerable child whose tragic situation was hijacked and weaponised.”

Collier pointed to other images taken by Arini, which showed Muhammad’s three-year-old brother, Joud, appearing healthy. He alleged that Muhammad suffers from cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and a genetic disorder that requires nutritional supplements. Citing a medical report from Gaza dated May 2025, he asserted that the child’s condition predates the famine.

Exclusive:

This is not the face of famine. It is the face of a medically vulnerable child whose tragic situation was hijacked and weaponised. Exposing the truth behind the viral Gaza 'famine' image of Mohammed Al-Matouq. 1/13 🧵⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/IUAHmdoVDb — David Collier (@mishtal) July 27, 2025

Collier also criticised The New York Times for its reporting, noting that its article claimed Muhammad’s father was killed by Israeli forces while searching for food. “Turns out he was killed on October 28, 2024. He was killed in a targeted strike on ‘al Qassabeeb’ street in Jabaliya,” Collier claimed in his piece.

His assertions were supported by pro-Israel watchdog Honest Reporting, which stated, “Every outlet that promoted this false narrative must update their coverage to reflect the full truth: Muhammad has a medical condition. He is not simply a victim of starvation, and the image has been presented in a misleading and incomplete way.”

Similar cases surface

This isn’t the only instance where the accuracy of famine-related images from Gaza has been questioned. Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano recently published a front-page image of a malnourished five-year-old named Osama al-Rakab with the headline “Is this a child?”

But Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) countered that Osama suffers from a serious genetic illness and is currently undergoing treatment abroad. COGAT said that Osama, his mother, and brother were flown out of Gaza through Ramon airport on June 12 for treatment in Italy.

This is what a modern blood libel looks like: A sick child. A hijacked photo. A lie that spreads faster than truth. His name is Osama al-Raqab. He has cystic fibrosis, a serious genetic illness. He’s been in Italy receiving treatment since June 12. Israel enabled his medical… pic.twitter.com/Sh8UBK3HVh — Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 28, 2025

“Tragic images rightfully stir strong emotions, but when they’re misused to fuel hatred and lies, they do more harm than good,” read a statement from COGAT’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. “Don’t let compassion be exploited for propaganda. Check the facts before parroting blame.”

The larger reality: Starvation is still widespread

While debates rage over the accuracy of specific images, the broader humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Multiple international agencies and UN bodies have warned that Israeli restrictions on aid are worsening the crisis for Gaza’s 2 million residents.

According to the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry, 127 people have died from hunger-related causes since the war began on October 7, 2023—including at least 85 children.

Responding to mounting global pressure, Israel recently said it would allow Jordan and the UAE to resume airdropping aid into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also announced “tactical pauses” in military operations in three regions -- Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, and Musawi -- to enable humanitarian relief.