New York Times stunningly rolls back claims about viral photo of starving Gaza boy
The note informs readers that Mohammed Zakaria al Mutawaq — the Gazan boy 'diagnosed with severe malnutrition' and pictured in the article — also suffers from 'pre-existing health problems.'
'We recently ran a story about Gaza's most vulnerable civilians, including Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, who is about 18 months old and suffers from severe malnutrition,' a spokesperson for the outlet said in a statement.
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4 Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza City, Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition.
Anadolu via Getty Images
4 The New York Times released an editor's note that Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq also suffers from 'pre-existing health conditions.'
Anadolu via Getty Images
'We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems,' the spokesperson continued.
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'This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation.'
The stark images of little al Mutawaq — shown with a gaunt face and his spine protruding from his back as his mother held him — went viral last week, with many using him as the poster child for starvation in the Palestinian enclave amid Israel's war against Hamas.
Days after the New York Times published images of al Mutawaq, pro-Israel group HonestReporting noted on July 27 that the boy's older brother, Joud, is standing in the background, appearing in far better condition.
4 The New York Times posted the editors note on Tuesday.
New York Times/X
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4 The images of al Mutawaq went viral last week.
Anadolu via Getty Images
Al Mutawaq's mother has also indicated that her son suffers from a 'muscle disorder' for which he receives specialized nutrition and physical therapy.
She noted — in a CNN segment last week — that her son was 'happy' and able to 'sit upright.'
The Times note did not elaborate on the pre-existing health problems al Mutawaq suffers from.
However, pro-Israel journalist David Collier reported last week that the young boy has 'cerebral palsy, hypoxemia, and was born with a serious genetic disorder,' citing a May 2025 medical report from Gaza.
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