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Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Health
- Middle East Eye
No, a Gaza toddler having cerebral palsy does not mean Israeli starvation is a ‘lie'
Photographs of extremely thin, often skeletal, children in Israeli-starved Gaza have become all too familiar. One such image, of the severely malnourished infant Mohammed al-Mutawaq, went viral last week. The 18-month-old child's picture featured in several international media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, The Times, The New York Times and the Daily Express. It added yet more evidence of starvation in Gaza as a result of a near-total Israeli blockade on food and humanitarian aid since March. But the images of Mutawaq's frail body have hit the headlines again, for different reasons. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It has been reported that the toddler has cerebral palsy, a fact which was not mentioned in every use of his photo in recent days. As a result of this omission, several pro-Israeli voices are now saying that Mutawaq's case proves that starvation in Gaza is 'a lie'. 'The picture that launched the global blood libel that Israel was starving Gazan children to death now stands… as a fraud perpetrated by the western media,' wrote Melanie Phillips, a right-wing columnist at The Times. 'The starvation lie is the latest in their decades-long attempt to delegitimise and destroy the tiny Jewish state.' The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth stated that photos of Mutawaq, among others, 'appear to be part of an effort to reinforce the 'famine narrative''. Talk TV Julia Hartley-Brewer, a presenter at Talk TV, described such images of Palestinian children as 'propaganda'. "Often, there's a picture of a mother who's quite chubby at the back with the child. Hey lady, maybe give some of your food to your kid," Hartley-Brewer said during a live broadcast. But is the fact that some of the most malnourished children in Gaza already have pre-existing health conditions really the 'gotcha' that commentators are claiming? 'It's wrong to say that their malnourished appearance is just because of their condition' - Yasin Fatine, paediatrician Yasin Fatine, a London-based doctor specialising in paediatrics, said that the photographs of Mutawaq and others were consistent with starvation, not their long-term disabilities. 'There's no reason for them to be looking this thin if they have the right nutrition and right dietetic input,' Fatine told Middle East Eye. 'It's wrong to say that their malnourished appearance is just because of their condition. That's not true," he added. 'If you look anywhere in the western or developed world, you will not see children this thin or skeletal, even with these kinds of conditions.' Children like Mutawaq, with cerebral palsy and other long-term conditions, have specific needs - including nutritional requirements, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. 'They may have an increased requirement of calories to maintain their growth and their development. These children also usually have input from dietitians,' said Fatine. Starvation in Gaza: Dizziness, fatigue and people collapsing in the streets Read More » 'Because of the ongoing conflict and genocide, these needs are not being met.' Far from disproving that Israel's blockade on food and medicine is causing starvation in Gaza, the pictures of children with pre-existing conditions add yet further evidence of the deadly impact of the siege. 'Starvation-related deaths often involve more than just food insecurity. Many victims - including individuals with disabilities, cerebral palsy, cancer and elderly people - were already medically vulnerable,' Rowida Sabbah, who is in Gaza leading Medical Aid for Palestinians' nutrition programme, told MEE. 'Under normal conditions, they required specialised nutrition, medications and consistent healthcare. The total breakdown of essential services has led to a rapid decline in their health, resulting in many preventable deaths.' She said that people with conditions like Mutawaq needed urgent specialised nutrition support, such as total parenteral nutrition and enteral feeding. Due to the Israeli blockade on medical supplies, they are at imminent risk of death. Efforts to deny that Palestinians are dying of starvation have not been limited to columnists. Israel has used official social media accounts to push the same narrative. '41-year-old Mohammad al-Hasanat didn't die of starvation - he suffered from untreated diabetes and died from complications of severe hypercatabolism,' read one such post from Israel's official X account. 'But his image is now being used to smear Israel. This isn't compassion. It's manipulation.' Alonso Gurmendi, an international law expert, wrote that this rhetoric was akin to Israel saying: 'We didn't starve him to death[;] we just made it impossible for him to get treatment for his illness until he died.' Children at more risk than adults As for suggestions that adults appearing less skeletal than children demonstrates 'propaganda', as Hartley-Brewer appeared to suggest, medical and humanitarian experts are clear that children are at the greatest risk of starvation. 'Their bodies are still developing, requiring more nutrients relative to their size, which means they can become severely malnourished within weeks,' Ammar Ammar of Unicef, the UN's aid agency for children, told MEE. 'Malnutrition quickly weakens their immune systems, making common illnesses like diarrhoea and pneumonia far more deadly," he added. 'Unlike adults, children also face long-term, often irreversible growth and developmental delays and damage, particularly if undernourishment occurs within the first 1,000 days of life.' 'The risk of malnutrition-related deaths among infants and young children is higher than ever before' - Ammar Ammar, Unicef regional director Fatine said that infants who have not moved on to solid foods are at particular risk in Gaza. 'They have a requirement for maternal milk and this may not be available, particularly if the mother has been injured, killed or if the mother is not adequately nourished herself,' the paediatrician said. 'In general, children are at a higher risk of malnutrition because of the relative lack of fat stores that adults usually have.' He added that if these infants survive, nutritional deficiencies will have a long-term impact on their growth and development going into adulthood. As of this month, the entire population under five in the Gaza Strip - more than 320,000 children - are at risk of acute malnutrition, due to a lack of safe water, breastmilk substitutes and therapeutic feeding. At least 6,500 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment last month and a further 5,000 cases were recorded in the first two weeks of this month. As of this week, 147 people - including 88 children - have died from Israeli-imposed starvation in Gaza since October 2023. 'With fewer than 15 percent of essential nutrition treatment services currently functional, the risk of malnutrition-related deaths among infants and young children is higher than ever before,' said Ammar.
The National
2 days ago
- Health
- The National
Julia Hartley-Brewer blasted for 'revolting' claim about Gaza children
The broadcaster has been chastised for the claims she made in conversation with commentator Sam Armstrong, who also claimed the starvation children are being subjected to is not Israel's fault. Hartley-Brewer at one stage appeared to poke fun at images of starving children saying "often there's a mother who's quite chubby with the child". With Armstrong nodding along, she said: "A lot of those pictures are propaganda. "It's been proved a number of them, these are children who have some congenital, horrible disease, totally unrelated to lack of food. READ MORE: Israel 'using Hamas as pretext to commit genocide', B'Tselem says "Often there's a picture of a mother who's quite chubby with the child and well that's...'hey lady maybe give some of your food to your kid'. "But there will be people who are starving, there will be people who are not getting access to food. Who's fault is that? Is it Israel's?" Armstrong replied: "No. It is categorically, 100%, and I mean 100%, Hamas." Julia Hartley-Brewer says many pictures coming out of Gaza of malnourished children are "propaganda". "Often, there's a picture of a mother who's quite chubby at the back with the child. Hey lady, maybe give some of your food to your kid!"@JuliaHB1 — Talk (@TalkTV) July 28, 2025 In the Sunday National, Gaza dentist Ibrahim Shareef Al-Ashi lifted the lid on the horrors of starvation gripping the territory. He said that people were reduced to eating just one meal a day as Israel prevents food from entering Palestine. A mass starvation expert also warned the crisis in Gaza is the "most severe" and "minutely engineered" act of deliberate starvation since the Second World War. Speaking with System Update, Alex de Waal noted that whilst the man-made famine in Gaza is not the largest by numbers, it is more 'intense' than the starvation imposed on countries like Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen. Mark Seddon, a former adviser to Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, said the commentary from Hartley-Brewer was "revolting". Sharing the clip on Twitter/X, he said: "This is just revolting now. Julia Hartley Brewer should try one of those Gaza diets for a few months. A "And is @TalkTV proud of the fact that it is posting this stuff? Really?" READ MORE: Labour minister squirms amid grilling on recognising Palestinian state He went on: "The more grotesque and egregious the crimes against humanity being committed in Gaza, the more extreme, absurd and offensive the claims that it is all somehow made-up. Largely being made by dead-eyed amoral individuals who seem to revel in their ignorance." Elsewhere on social media, Hartley-Brewer's comments were described as "disgusting" and "demonstrably false". Last week former first minister Humza Yousaf and his wife Nadia El-Nakla posted a powerful video saying that their family in Gaza is starving. The pair said the stories they were hearing from El-Nakla's side of the family in Gaza were "sickening" and "gut-wrenching". Last week more than 100 aid organisations warned of 'mass starvation' in the enclave with more than two million people facing shortages of food and other essentials after 21 months of brutal bombardment by Israel. A statement from the agencies says they are 'witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes', with aid workers now joining food lines and risking being shot by Israeli forces. Global news organisations including the BBC, AFP, Reuters and and Associated Press also voiced concern over journalists facing starvation.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Prince Andrew's 'tacky and distasteful' move slammed by royal after spiralling costs
The late Queen Elizabeth allowed Prince Andrew and Fergie the chance to build their own royal home, but things quickly spiralled as the lavish residence cost more than anticipated When Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson tied the knot in Westminster Abbey in 1986, they were showered with thousands of luxury gifts from the A-list celebrities who were invited to their star-studded nuptials. Among the presents they received to celebrate their marriage was the promise from the late Queen Elizabeth to have their own royal residence. After the newlyweds toured countless of existing properties all around the country, they decided they would build their own home to service all of their wants and needs. Thanks to a generous cash gift from the Queen of £250,000, the couple started construction on their infamous Berkshire home named Sunninghill Park. However, while construction of the 30-bedroom home was still ongoing, the late Queen was forced to put her foot down and cut off Andrew and Fergie from overspending on the lavish property, long before their first marital home had been built. After they very quickly hit their quarter of a million pound budget, the former monarch was at breaking point with her son, and tightened her purse strings to stop their excessive spending. On a new Channel 5 documentary, titled Fergie, Andrew & The Scandal of SouthYork, royal author Andrew Lownie recalled the moment that the late Queen became fed up with the over the top spending on the massive property. Lownie said: 'The Queen, I think, eventually put her foot down and said, you know, this is crazy. At that point, they hadn't built the swimming pool and the tennis court, and who knows whether the helicopter pad was there then either.' Talk TV's Royal editor Sarah Hewson further explained that when the couple maxed out their budget in the middle of 1990, one year after construction began, the Palace refused to pay anymore money to the grand home. Hewson said: 'By this stage, Sunninghill Park was proving to be a financial headache, in particular, for the Queen, notoriously financially prudent who was having to foot the ever-escalating bills.' Instead of accepting the fact that they had to work within their budget to complete their marital home, the Duchess of York began exploring other avenues to fund their dream home, eventually turning to Hello! Magazine to do a photoshoot. The 45-page magazine spread, which was the first time a royal couple had turned to the press for such an insight, earned Andrew and Sarah a further £200,000 to finish their home, while also welcoming a flood of criticism from the public over their design choices. Many were quick to criticise the decor of the house, which included countless teddy bears, cushions with trite slogans, and personalised toilet roll holders including one that sang God Save The Queen. 'Fergie had a very enterprising idea that she would do a photoshoot for Hello!' said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine. 'Nobody in the royal family had ever done a shoot like that." 'Although the Queen never commented publicly on it, she was less than pleased,' added Hewson. 'She saw it as lacking decorum and that it was an invasion of privacy. Prince Philip, he just thought it was downright tacky and distasteful.' In October 1990, the Yorks finally moved into their extravagant home, throwing an enormous housewarming party with a jungle theme. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson announced their separation in 1992, finalising their divorce in 1996, and putting Sunninghill Park on the market in 2002 for a whopping £12 million. The house sat on the market for five years before being purchased, falling into a state of disrepair. Despite being divorced, the couple still live together at Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. The disgraced Duke of York, who has no apparent income, was reportedly told last year to leave the 30-room Royal Lodge by the King. There were claims Andrew could not meet the £400,000-a-year upkeep of the 19th century, Grade II-listed property, which has a pool and 90 acres of land. But so far, Andrew has refused to budge from the Queen Mother's former home in Windsor Great Park.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
TalkTV's James Whale reveals he is in a hospice amid terminal cancer battle - confessing he 'probably won't be here next week'
Veteran broadcaster, James Whale, has revealed he is in a hospice in a heartbreaking update amid his battle with terminal cancer. The TalkTv presenter, 74, recently confessed he 'have much longer', sharing he was told he only had 12 weeks to live amid his terminal cancer battle. The radio host was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in February 2020, which sadly later spread to his spine, brain and lungs. And while announcing his final episode of his podcast, Tales Of The Wales, James shared he would probably not 'be here next week'. In a whispered voice, he said: 'This is probably going to be our last podcast. 'I'm in a hospice. I probably won't be here next week. I'm fine. I've got so many drugs in me, I can't feel a thing.' 'A lot of people get really upset when someone is going to die,' he added. 'I'm the person who's going to die and I'm quite relaxed about it.' The couple confessed they had been crying often, but 'in a good way', while listening to voice notes and reading messages, praising James's and his impact on their lives. While he was 'very upset and worried about' his wife Nadine, she responded saying how they had been reminiscing about their beautiful memories over the years. 'Like how we went to Antigua,' James said, while Nadine added: 'We have been very lucky and very blessed with all the amazing things we have been able to do.' Despite his ill health, the Talk TV presenter has kept his humour, joking while explaining how he is craned into a bathtub at the hospice. He added that hospice staff told him his wife could join him in the bath and they could dim the lights. 'I began to wonder what sort of place this is,' he joked. As the episode came to a close, James said to Nadine: 'We've had the best time together haven't we. I love you.' 'Thank you for being a listener I hope it helps in some way. Who knows what is next so I can only say au revoir.' It comes after James shared his health has dramatically declined as he admitted he is struggling to breath, talk, think and hear in a previous episode. Speaking on his podcast Tales Of The Whales, James said: 'I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't talk. 'Anyway. Good morning. Welcome to Tales of the Whales, our weekly podcast. I have terminal 5 cancer. Can you get 5?' Last week, heartbreaking pictures emerged of James giving the 'most compelling' interview of his career. James filmed the interview with Nigel Farage as a TalkTV producer shared snaps ahead of it being released. In the images James looked frail amid his illness and had a yellow blanket over his knees. He penned on X: 'After 50 years in broadcasting, Whaley delivers one of the most compelling and profound conversations of his career. 'A masterclass in asking the right questions. @THEJamesWhale @Nigel_Farage @MitchellCMM.' Under another image of the interview set up he wrote: 'Filming Whaley's last interview with Nigel Farage. The bravest man I know. A legend and a friend.' He also appeared in an image with his co-host on Talk TV Ash Gould. It comes after last week James took to social media to share an emotional update about his terminal cancer battle - admitting that he 'hasn't got much longer'. The Big Brother star choked up as he wished his grandson a happy birthday and reflected on his own mortality in the heartfelt message. He said: 'I'm not terribly well in the final stages of cancer, but I just want to tell my grandson how proud I am of him. 'He's a Royal Marine and he's been a Royal Marine for over six months, nearly a year now, he got through all his training, and I am so, so proud, you have no idea.' The visibly emotional star added: 'Happy Birthday, mate. Happy Birthday to all of you who have put your lives where you have '360 years ago, the Royal Marines were founded. Happy Birthday to you all.' Reflecting on his mortality, James said: 'It's alright, I'm an old git, [I'm] 74. I'm still on the TV and radio but not for much longer. I love you all, guys.' Fans were quick to send supportive messages to James in the comments section of the video, which was posted to Twitter/X, thanking him for his work as a presenter. They wrote: 'You have been the voice of many people, thank you. Your family are lucky to have such an inspirational loved one. Thinking of you and sending love.';
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
James Whale says 'I can't go on much more' as he shares heartbreaking cancer update
Presenter James Whale has issued a heartbreaking update on his health as he revealed he is struggling to breathe, think and talk as he enters week seven of his 12 week prognosis TV and radio star James Whale has shared a devastating insight into his cancer diagnosis as he has just 12 weeks to live. The presenter left his fans heartbroken with his latest update since he was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer in 2020. He revealed he is struggling to breathe, talk, hear and think as he enters week seven. James admitted his speech has become slow and he is forgetful, while also suffering pressure sores. The host has remained committed in sharing updates with his fans as he has carried on his podcast, Tales of the Whales alongside his wife Nadine. On the emotional episode, James shared: "I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't talk. "Anyway. Good morning. Welcome to Tales of the Whales, our weekly podcast. I have terminal 5 cancer. Can you get 5?" James continued: "Could I thank everybody for getting in touch and wanting to meet up. "I'm not being rude when I make it difficult to get touched up. I mean... in touch." Wife Nadine told him: 'You're getting quite tired, so from next week, we're restricting visitors to just very close friends and family.' James responded: 'The most tiring thing I found… I still can't hear very well, which is more frustrating than anything else. I've become very slow in my speech and then forgetful and everything else." He also spoke of his pressure sores as he said: 'I'm tootling along, which is all you can do really, trying to get my breathing sorted and the mark on my bum. People have to go through a lot worse, don't they? Do they?" At the end of the poignant update, James devastatingly shared: "Anyway. I don't feel I can go on much more... The other thing is, my energy levels have gone completely. "So I wish everybody well, and let us hope we go through these phases as quickly as we can." James was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000 and had a kidney removed. In 2020, he revealed the disease had spread to his spine, brain, and lungs. The veteran broadcaster has faced a tumultuous journey ever since. Back in May, James told his fans he was "at the end" of his cancer journey as he announced the last of his long-running TalkTV programme. James sadly revealed his condition had worsened and that treatment was no longer an option. Making the announcement with his Talk co-host Ash Gould by his side, he shared: "I'm at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore." He added: "I can't tell you how grateful I am to Talk to actually let me on the air and sit next to Ash, which is a real pain in the butt, but I've been doing it for 25 years!" Despite his health, James managed to joke: "It might actually be helping me, you never know, so I don't let that cloud my judgment – but on the medication I am on, I'm all over the place. I'm hoping to go on for another few weeks, few months but as soon as I can't do the show anymore, I won't." The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
