Gazan Child on Daily Mirror Cover Suffers from Genetic Disease, Not Starvation, COGAT Says By The Media Line Staff Israel’s military liaison office on Sunday disputed a prominent front-page report in the UK’s Daily Mirror that portrayed a Gazan toddler as suffering from starvation, revealing that the child is afflicted by a rare genetic disease. […]
Health
The Media Line: Gazan Child on Daily Mirror Cover Suffers from Genetic Disease, Not Starvation, COGAT Says
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Gazan Child on Daily Mirror Cover Suffers from Genetic Disease, Not Starvation, COGAT Says
By The Media Line Staff
Israel’s military liaison office on Sunday disputed a prominent front-page report in the UK’s Daily Mirror that portrayed a Gazan toddler as suffering from starvation, revealing that the child is afflicted by a rare genetic disease.
The Daily Mirror featured three-year-old Karim Ali Fouad Abu Mu’amar under the headline “Stop Starving Gaza’s Kids,” linking his frail appearance to the recent declaration by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that famine conditions exist in the Gaza Strip.
The Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) published medical documentation from Gaza’s European Hospital showing that the boy was diagnosed in infancy with Fanconi syndrome, an inherited disorder that weakens kidney and muscle function and disrupts nutrient absorption. According to COGAT, the disease also affects other members of his family.
“The terrorist organization Hamas continues to spread false narratives as part of a deceptive propaganda campaign,” COGAT said, accusing international media of repeating claims without proper verification.
Israeli officials cited previous cases where images of children with serious medical conditions were circulated as evidence of starvation. In June, five-year-old Osama al-Rakab, who also suffers from a genetic illness, was evacuated from Gaza for treatment in Italy after his emaciated appearance was mischaracterized online as proof of famine.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein criticized the Daily Mirror directly, writing on X: “@DailyMirror stop spreading Hamas propaganda!” He noted that community fact-checks on the platform clarified that Karim’s condition was not caused by malnutrition.
Marmorstein did not address broader concerns over food shortages in Gaza. Aid groups have said that while some children appear malnourished due to underlying illness, food scarcity can worsen such conditions.
COGAT urged journalists to “check the facts before parroting blame,” warning that misrepresentations inflame tensions rather than help those in need.