As photos of hungry Palestinian children holding empty pots sparked mass protests condemning Israel for Gaza starvation and influenced international politics worldwide, a German investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung reveals these powerful images may be systematically staged as part of Hamas terrorist propaganda operations, BILD reported.
One widely circulated photograph recently showed desperate people gathered before a food distribution truck. Photographer Anas Zayed Fteiha, allegedly a freelance journalist commissioned by Turkish news agency Anadolu, stood facing the crowd. According to BILD, the sequence shows people waving their containers before receiving food distribution; however, Fteiha did not provide these follow-up images and failed to respond to BILD’s inquiry about which photographs he captured there.
German @BILD “In the Gaza Strip, almost exclusively Palestinian photographers are now taking photographs – quite a few with Hamas connections. Historian and photography expert Gerhard Paul told the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “In southern Gaza, Hamas controls 100 percent of image… pic.twitter.com/ROY8hr43ji
— Magnus Ranstorp (@MagnusRanstorp) August 5, 2025
The investigation found that while other photographers documented adult men successfully receiving food distribution at this scene, Fteiha appears to selectively document only initial desperation while omitting evidence of successful food distribution, relating it to his personal views on the Gaza War. Fteiha’s Instagram account features “Free Palestine” artwork depicting him in combat gear labeled “Press,” created by an artist who openly expresses hatred toward Jews, and the investigation also found a video headlined “F**k Israel” on his social media. Beyond his social media posts, the photographer works with europe.palestine.network, which describes itself as a “pro-Palestinian collective” conducting “global actions in Europe” that documents Palestinian hardship in Gaza while promoting “resistance” against Israel internationally.
Gaza photographer Anas Zayed Fteiha’s “Free Palestine” image on his social media (Screenshot: Instagram)
Turkish state agency connection
Fteiha works as a photographer and video correspondent for a news organization directly controlled by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has promoted, financed, and harbored Hamas terrorists over multiple years, according to BILD.
The German publication contacted photo agencies about using photographs from Fteiha. Deutsche Presse-Agentur and Agence France-Presse confirmed they avoid working with Fteiha and examine photographers’ backgrounds before publication. Reuters stated their photos “satisfy standards for accuracy, independence, and impartiality.” The German Journalists’ Association told BILD that warring parties strategically deploy images to influence public opinion, noting that Israel’s prohibition on independent reporters entering Gaza has created conditions where nearly exclusively Palestinian photographers operate within the territory.
Hamas controls Gaza imagery
The investigation found that many of the Palestinian photographers who operate within the Gaza Strip have Hamas connections. Historian and photography expert Gerhard Paul told Süddeutsche Zeitung that “In southern Gaza, Hamas controls 100 percent of image production,” to generate Western sympathy while inflaming anger toward Israel, according to Paul, a method that was used by Hamas and other Palestinian terror organizations before.
