German Media Say Gaza War Photos Staged

Two leading German newspapers, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Bild, have published investigations questioning the authenticity of widely circulated photographs from Gaza, with allegations that some images were staged to misrepresent the situation on the ground.

In its recent coverage, Süddeutsche Zeitung referenced media sources and Gerhard Paul, a photography expert with 25 years of experience analyzing imagery from both Israel and Gaza, to argue that Hamas propaganda and slanted media narratives heavily influence the visuals emerging from Gaza.

One specific claim in the article is that photos of Gazans holding empty pots, presumed by many to be taken at food distribution sites, were in fact staged to give the impression of acute hunger. The report featured a well-known image of Gaza-based photographer Anas Zayed Fteiha, a freelancer for the Turkish Anadolu Agency, snapping pictures of children with pots and pans, not at a food line, but in a location arranged for effect.

Journalist Christopher Resch from Reporters Without Borders told the German daily that “little gets past Hamas” when it comes to what foreign media are allowed to publish, though he noted that photographers giving subjects instructions for photos is “acceptable” as long as the result “roughly reflects reality.”

Following up on the Süddeutsche Zeitung piece, Bild conducted its own investigation focused on Fteiha, not named in the first report, and accused him of intentionally staging images to intensify the appearance of Israeli-inflicted suffering. The paper also cited material from his social media pages as evidence of a strong anti-Israel bias.

Bild reported that Fteiha, whose photos have appeared in CNN, the BBC, and even Bild itself, has not released the full set of images from the scene in question and declined to respond to inquiries. In response to the allegations, the German Press Agency and Agence France-Presse informed Bild that they would no longer collaborate with Fteiha. Both agencies emphasized their commitment to vetting photographers and ensuring professional integrity. Reuters, for its part, said only that its photos adhere to “standards of accuracy, independence, and impartiality.”

The reports also noted that independent verification of events in Gaza is complicated by the fact that Israel currently bars foreign journalists from entering the territory unless part of occasional, IDF-supervised tours. The army says this policy is in place to safeguard both journalists and soldiers.