'Hamas's propaganda war': Israel battles famine allegations
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The two boys and one girl – five-year-old Osama al-Rakab, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq and 11-month-old Sila Barbakh — have become symbols of Gaza's ongoing food crisis as Israel has come under intense international pressure amid allegations of widespread starvation and throttled humanitarian aid.
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On Monday, President Donald Trump said there was 'real starvation' unfolding in the Gaza Strip, while hedging his statement by asserting Hamas was 'stealing the food.' The Israeli government has maintained that nearly 1,000 aid trucks full of supplies have remained stuck at the Gaza border due to obstruction from international organizations, including the United Nations, and that the situation is being exploited by Hamas for political gain.
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'The reason? The UN refuses to distribute the aid. Hamas and the UN prevent the aid to reach the civilians in Gaza. The world deserves to know the truth.'
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On the country's official X account on Tuesday, Israel said al-Matouq, whose image has been used in global media coverage about the food crisis in Gaza, 'suffers from cerebral palsy.'
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'But BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza — playing into the hands of Hamas's propaganda war. Without proper disclosure. Without medical context. Without journalistic ethics.'
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Unlike his brother standing by his side, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq suffers from cerebral palsy.
But BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza —… pic.twitter.com/UzP5PhNSvU
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) July 29, 2025
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