Photos of Muhammad al-Matouq, the emaciated Gazan toddler photographed wearing a diaper made from a garbage bag, were published in nearly every media outlet covering the crisis in the Strip; But an independent journalist finds that he suffers from a background of genetic diseases, including cerebral palsy and a lack of oxygen in the blood; which contribute to his appearance; His diseases were omitted from report, and the narrative of starvation in Gaza intensified

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Among the most influential visuals was a photo of 18-month-old Palestinian toddler Muhammad al-Matouq, taken by journalist Ahmad al-Arini. The image—showing the child in a makeshift diaper made from a black trash bag held by his mother—was widely published by major outlets including CNN, The New York Times, Sky News, The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Times, and the BBC. Even the pro-Israel Daily Express featured it.

“I took the photo to show the world the extreme hunger faced by babies and children in Gaza,” al-Arini told the BBC. He said he found the boy and his mother living in a tent in Gaza City after being displaced from northern Gaza, with little more than a small stove inside. He claimed the toddler had dropped from 9 kg to 6 kg—about half the healthy weight for his age—and had never received breast milk, infant formula or supplements.

Al-Arini described the tent as “resembling a grave,” emphasizing the visual as symbolic of Gaza’s plight. But investigative journalist David Collier published a detailed report revealing that the child suffers not from starvation, but from rare genetic conditions—including cerebral palsy and blood oxygen deficiency. Collier based his findings on a medical report from the Basma Association for Aid in Gaza, signed by Dr. Saeed Mohammed al-Nassan, which stated the boy has required nutritional supplements since birth in December 2023—two months after the war began—and that his medical condition stems from chronic illness affecting muscle tone, movement and posture. Collier also pointed out that al-Arini’s photo omits the boy’s older brother Jude, age 3, who appears healthy in other, less widely distributed images. He noted that Muhammad’s mother, Huda, also shows no signs of severe malnutrition that would suggest an overall family food crisis.