The New York Times is facing intense backlash after quietly issuing an Editor’s Note acknowledging that a Gaza child widely used as a symbol of Israeli-induced starvation actually suffered from pre-existing medical conditions — a detail never mentioned in the original piece.
The child, Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, was featured in powerful images circulated by the Times, CNN, Sky News, The Guardian, Daily Mail, and others. Media reports claimed his emaciated frame proved that Israel was starving Gaza — yet his older brother and mother appeared healthy, according to an independent investigation.
Investigative Reporter: Image Was “Deliberately Cropped”
British journalist David Collier exposed what he called deliberate photo framing by major outlets.
“Wider and unpublished pictures show Mohammed’s healthy brother Joud… and a healthy mother,” Collier wrote.
“Media either cropped, blurred, or entirely excluded** the brother from the narrative.”NYT Editor’s Note: Yes, He Had Pre-Existing Conditions
After the image and story went viral worldwide, the New York Times quietly amended the article, writing:
“We
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