The Israeli agency COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) revealed another outrageous manipulation. It was a viral photograph of another Gazan child, Osama al-Rakab, five years old, also presented on social media as a "victim of starvation."
What was not mentioned was that Osama, who suffers from a severe genetic disease, was evacuated on June 12 along with his mother and brother through Ramon airport, and is currently receiving medical treatment in Italy.
"The tragic images understandably evoke great empathy," COGAT stated in a release. "But when they're used to fuel hatred and spread lies, they do more harm than good. Let's not allow compassion to be used as a weapon of propaganda".
This case adds to an image that moved the world.
A Palestinian child with a sunken face and emaciated body, identified as Mohammed al-Matouq, became a symbol of an alleged mass famine in the Gaza Strip.
International media such as CNN, BBC, The Guardian, and The New York Times quickly placed the photograph on their front pages and headlines, using it as indisputable evidence that Israel was deliberately causing the suffering of defenseless civilians.
