Palestinian photographer whose photos fueled debunked Gaza famine narrative awarded Pulitzer Prize

Israel has rejected accusations that it is using hunger as a weapon, saying any shortages are a result of the war and Hamas actions.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Pulitzer Prize was awarded to Palestinian photographer Saher Alghorra for his images of Gaza, including photographs tied to disputed claims about starvation during the war, drawing renewed attention to competing narratives over conditions in the territory.

The prize committee said it was honoring Alghorra “for his haunting, sensitive series showing the devastation and starvation in Gaza resulting from the war with Israel.”

Alghorra worked for The New York Times, and one of his most widely circulated images was a photograph from the summer of 2025 showing a child in Gaza who appeared severely underweight. The image spread widely and became associated with claims of famine.

Israeli officials challenged that narrative. The Israeli military said civilians were not being deliberately starved during the campaign and maintained that food supplies were reaching the population.

The New York Times later updated its reporting on the child, stating that he had a medical condition that affected muscle development.

The publication also removed a quote attributed to his mother that said he had been healthy before the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. The newspaper did not withdraw its broader reporting on conditions in Gaza.

Separate reporting by The Media Line and other outlets has also disputed claims of widespread famine. These reports describe aid entering Gaza but say it is often intercepted or looted by Hamas operatives and local gangs instead of reaching civilians.

According to that account, Hamas exerts control over distribution systems and may contribute to shortages. Israeli officials, including COGAT, have said there is no policy of starvation and have pointed to the entry of aid trucks carrying food and supplies.

Israel has rejected accusations that it is using hunger as a weapon, saying any shortages are a result of the war and Hamas actions.

Some reports also question data cited by international organizations or Gazan officials and point to images of markets and daily activity as evidence that conditions are more complex than claims of widespread famine suggest.