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DW
4 days ago
- General
- DW
Fact check: Gaza famine photos not staged – DW – 08/15/2025
Images of starving children and desperate families in Gaza have sparked global concern and controversy. Some photos have been accused of being staged. One image published by Time Magazine is at the center of this storm. Recently, thousands of social media posts have alleged that some of these images are manipulated, portraying an "unreal situation" in Gaza. These accusations target visuals shared by both social media users and mainstream media outlets. Such allegations risk fueling a narrative against journalists working in the dangerous conditions of Gaza. DW Fact checkinvestigated the allegations. Claim: A widely shared postaccuses of publishing a staged image. It compares photo to another published by the German tabloid , suggesting the scene was orchestrated. The images show people in Gaza waiting for food with empty pots. An official Israeli Instagram account posted both images side-by-side, claiming: "One photo was staged. The other debunked it." The post, shared thousands of times, added, "Manufactured emotion. Media complicity. Truth discarded." Similar claims were made here, hereand here. DW Fact check: False The two photos do not depict the same scene. We analyzed the images on various levels. First just a simple look at the content of the images: A side-by-side comparison reveals different individuals and containers: in image, many people hold plastic containers, while in the other, most hold metal pots. So, image does not show the image taken by the photographer shown in the other photograph. We also looked at the metadata and licensing of the two images. photo was licensed via Getty Imagesand credited to photographer Ali Jadallah of Anadolu/Getty. It was posted on Instagram account and appears in Getty's databasedated July 22, 2025. The second photo, published by , appears on the German agency Picture Alliance's website. It shows photojournalist Anas Zayed Fteiha, but was taken by Khames Alrefi (not pictured), as noted in the credit. It was distributed via the Turkish news agency agency categorically denied the allegations of staging the picture in its response to DW's query. It's also important to note the dates: The image used by is dated July 24, two days after the photo. While both were taken in Gaza, and at the same food kitchen, they do not show the same scene, as they were shot on different days. We reviewed hundreds of images in online databases from picture agencies. Many were taken at the same location on different days, both before and during aid distributions. This leads to the conclusion that this is a genuine food kitchen where Gazans come regularly. In the screenshot below from Anadolu, several images show photographer Fteiha at the same distribution point. The controversyintensified after published an article on August 5 alleging that photojournalists in Gaza stage images to generate global sympathy, using the picture of Fteiha to support its argument. Claim: "This Gaza photographer stages Hamas propaganda," reads the headline of article, accompanied by an image of Fteiha filming a crowd in Gaza. The article accuses him of staging the scene. DW Fact check: False The image in question was taken in Gaza and shows people waiting with empty pots before food distribution at the food kitchen—consistent with a pre-distribution moment seen in other images. It is dated July 24, 2025, by the agency. DW's research found that Anadolu was documenting Fteiha's work on the same day. The agency's database includes several portrait images (including the one used by ) and an 11-minute video of him working in Gaza. The video caption states: "Palestinian journalists continue to report from Gaza under extreme conditions. (...) Among them is Anadolu freelance cameraman Anas Zeyad Fteha (Fteiha), who has documented the dire situation firsthand." The film shows Fteiha working on location and visiting the food distribution site. It also documents the process itself, making it clear that there is a short barrier between the crowd and the point where the food was handed out. All the pictures and the video are available in the public domain. The Anadolu Agency told DW that the agency stands firmly by its photographer Z.M. Fetaiha (Fteiha) and that the photographs reflect the humanitarian crisis they witness in Gaza "in its starkest form." Gaza is facing a severe food crisis and rising starvation. The United Nations recently warnedof mounting evidence of famine in Gaza, confirming fears of widespread hunger. "The facts are in, and they are undeniable," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. US President Donald Trump also acknowledged the situation in Gaza and pledged greater involvement in food distribution. "We can save a lot of people, I mean some of those kids. That's real starvation. I see it and you can't fake it," he said. Images from Gaza are frequently met with politicization and skepticism. Narratives shift rapidly, and images showing civilian suffering are often accused—without evidence—of being staged or manipulated. These claims spread quickly on social media. Tommaso Canetta, deputy director of Pagella Politica and Facta News, says that in recent weeks they have detected "the ongoing circulation of the 'Pallywood' conspiracy theory" in many EU member states. The term 'Pallywood' is used to falsely claim that images of real victims of Israeli military actions in Palestinian territories were staged with actors. In an exchange with DW, Canetta shared several examples. "Notably, some of the most symbolic and appalling images of the hunger in Gaza have been falsely framed as 'out of context' (another example here) in a clear attempt to deny the real consequences of the foreign policy of the current Israeli government," Canetta told DW. Israel has barred international reporters from entering and reporting from Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack, except when embedded with the Israeli army. As a result, local Palestinian journalists, as well as (inter)national aid workers and doctors, are the only ones able to provide crucial insights into events there. Accusations of media manipulationshould be critically examined, especially in conflict zones where misinformation can spread rapidly. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Time of India
07-08-2025
- Time of India
Big Gaza photo scandal: Top agencies drop photographer over shocking staged hunger images
A well-known Gazan photographer faces criticism after a German investigation revealed that some of his viral hunger photos were staged. Several major European agencies have severed ties with him, reigniting debate about media ethics, bias, and the dangers of manipulated war imagery. Anas Zayed Fteiha , a Gazan photographer, is facing criticism after an investigation revealed that his hunger-themed photographs were staged rather than taken at actual aid locations. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program ALSO READ: Ohio water levels altered for JD Vance's kayaking trip? Report sparks backlash Were the pictures of hungry people in Gaza real or fake? There has been a lot of media attention on Anas Zayed Fteiha, a well-known photographer from Gaza, who was caught staging pictures that looked like they showed starving civilians. The documentary made by Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) showed Fteiha taking pictures of kids holding empty bowls, even though there were no food supplies or aid distribution centers nearby, as per a report by The Jewish Chronicle. Live Events Fteiha's pictures seemed to show crowds fighting over food in a desperate way. The documentary's wide shot, on the other hand, showed a different scene, one that was very different from what viewers might have expected to see during an urgent aid delivery. ALSO READ: Veterans Affairs terminates union contracts — what it means for federal workers nationwide What have photo agencies done about the controversy? The effects were felt right away. Several European picture agencies, such as the German Press Agency and Agence France-Presse (AFP), have said they will no longer work with Fteiha. His pictures had already been widely shared and used by major news organizations like CNN, the BBC, and New York Magazine through Anadolu, the Turkish state-owned news agency where he works, as per a report by The Jewish Chronicle. But not all outlets have reacted in the same way. For instance, Reuters defended the pictures by saying they met their standards for "accuracy, independence, and impartiality." What are the bigger effects of reporting on the war in Gaza? The event brings up troubling questions about how images of war are made, especially in places like Gaza where international journalists can't go. Critics say that selective framing or staged scenes can mislead viewers, even if the bigger humanitarian crisis is real. Gerhard Paul, an expert on photography, said that many of these pictures of hunger could be made or captioned in ways that are also misleading to get people to feel something. He says, "These aren't outright fakes, but they do tap into visual memory and change how people see things,' as per a report by The Jewish Chronicle. He also said that in places still controlled by Hamas, photo production is likely to be tightly controlled, which could change the stories that are told. Is it wrong to stage emotional pictures? Some people don't think Fteiha's actions were wrong. Christopher Resch from Reporters Without Borders said that there was a lot of controversy, but that it is normal for photographers to "guide" people to tell a story. "The picture should have had more context, but that doesn't mean the suffering isn't real," the professor said, as per a report by The Jewish Chronicle. Resch also said that it's not a good idea to call photojournalists "propaganda agents," especially in places where things are unstable. He said, "Once a photographer's name is linked to manipulation or Hamas control, they could face serious threats to their safety." The images from Gaza are still very powerful, but this argument is a strong reminder that not everything we see through a lens is real. As the war goes on and people's opinions change, it becomes more important than ever to report the truth and put it in context. People who read, watch, or listen to the news are being told to question not just what they see, but also how and why they see it. FAQs Why are the agencies dropping the Gaza photographer? His photos of starving civilians were discovered to be staged, not taken at aid sites. Who is Anas Zayed Fteiha ? A Gaza-based photographer for Turkey's Anadolu Agency who is currently being investigated for manipulating war images.
