Gaza 'starvation' poster boy actually has genetic condition and Israel helped him in the past

The media’s been peddling a heart-wrenching photo of a Gaza boy, Osama al-Rakab, 5, as the poster child for a so-called famine caused by Israel’s war in the Strip. 

But as it turns out, it’s a load of balderdash. 

The Israeli Defense Ministry dropped the hammer Monday, revealing the child has a genetic illness, not starvation, and was evacuated for treatment last month. 

Israel’s COGAT unit came out swinging: "A picture of Osama al-Rakab, 5, was 'used to falsely depict Israel as responsible for his condition, claiming Israel is starving children,'" including in Italian media and on Al Jazeera's airwaves. Lies, lies, and more lies. They clarified: "Osama suffers from a serious genetic illness unrelated to the war. On June 12, we actively coordinated Osama’s exit from Gaza with his mother and brother through the Ramon airport." The kid is now getting treatment in an Italian hospital, not wasting away because of Israel.

COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) didn’t stop there, warning: "Tragic images rightfully stir strong emotions, but when they’re misused to fuel hatred and lies, they do more harm than good." Preach. They added, "Don’t let compassion be exploited for propaganda." And to drive it home: “Check the facts before parroting blame." They even dropped a pic of Osama in his hospital gown in Italy, proving their point.

Meanwhile, the IDF's out here dismantling the "deliberate starvation" myth with hard action. On Sunday, they rolled out humanitarian measures, including "tactical pauses" in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah, and Gaza City "every day until further notice." Combat’s still on, but they're halting fire from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in those zones, coordinated with the U.N. and other global players "following discussions regarding the matter." Humanitarian corridors? Locked in from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., letting U.N. convoys deliver food and meds to Gazans. The IDF is ready to scale it up "as required."

Then you have U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson dropping truth bombs on NBC's Meet the Press: "Since the war started, Jerusalem has supplied over 94,000 truckloads of food, 'enough to feed two million people for two years.'" But here’s the kicker: "Hamas has stolen the food." 

Fact-check that Hamas pocketed over $500 million in 2024 from aid meant for starving Gazans. Johnson called the U.N.’s aid system "broken" and said the IDF’s opening “new channels of distribution to get it to those people who are desperately in need, that’s Israel’s intention and that is the U.S.’s intention and the U.N. as well.”

And let's not forget Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, standing tall at a gathering of evangelical Christians in Jerusalem: "There is no starvation in Gaza … and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals. We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. They shall be there no more."

So there you have it, propaganda exposed, facts laid bare, and Israel fighting the good fight while the world's fed a steady diet of lies. Time to wake up and smell the truth.

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