The German BILD newspaper published an investigation on Tuesday exposing a Gazan photographer as staging “starvation” scenes in Gaza as material for Hamas propaganda against Israel.

The investigation found that many Gazan photographers are connected to Hamas. For example, photographer Anas Zayed Fteiha, whose photos and videos appear in international newspapers and news agencies, staged images to exaggerate suffering in Gaza and serve as leverage for international ire at Israel.

Fteiha’s photos have been published in many outlets, including CNN, BBC, Reuters, and New York Magazine, as well as BILD, before the investigation.

One of his widely circulated photos shows a group of Gazans, almost all women and children, holding empty pots at a food distribution site. The report notes that photographs by others at the site show that the group received food after the photo was taken, questioning why the “full picture” wasn’t presented. In addition, other photographs of the site show that the crowd waiting for food was mainly comprised of adult men, who also received food.

The investigation notes that Fteiha is on a mission to “Free Palestine,” frequently publishing pro-Palestinian posts on social media, casting doubts about his objectivity. One of his Instagram posts shows him wearing combat gear with the word “Press,” which according to the report, was created by “an avowed Jew-hater.” Another video on his account is accompanied by a caption cursing Israel. Additionally, Fteiha presents himself as a “journalist” for Anadolu Agency, a state-supported Turkish news agency known for its support of Hamas.

Historian and photography expert Gerhard Paul told Süddeutsche Zeitung, another German outlet that also carried the story, “In southern Gaza, Hamas controls 100 percent of image production to generate Western sympathy while inflaming anger toward Israel.”

Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that there are serious doubts about the authenticity of many of the images from Gaza, with “at least some presented in a false or misleading context.”

A photography expert quoted by the report said, “Many images of starving or sick children are likely staged or taken out of context. They’re not fake, but the subjects are positioned a certain way or paired with misleading captions that tap into our visual memory and emotions.”

“Hamas is a master of staging visuals,” he added. “The images also serve another purpose: to overwrite the brutal visuals from Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. Many people don’t even remember those images anymore.”

Following the reports, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated, “Beware of fake news. A joint investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung and BILD reveals how Hamas uses ‘Pallywood,’ staged or selectively framed media, to manipulate global opinion.”

“At the center is Anas Zayed Fteiha, a Palestinian photographer for Anadolu and an open Israel- and Jew-hater, whose images are designed to evoke pity and fuel outrage. Despite his bias, his photos are published by major outlets like CNN, BBC, and Reuters.”

“With Hamas controlling nearly all media in Gaza, these photographers aren’t reporting; they’re producing propaganda.”

“This investigation underscores how Pallywood has gone mainstream, with staged images and ideological bias shaping international coverage, while the suffering of Israeli hostages and Hamas atrocities are pushed out of frame.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)