A recent clarification by The New York Times confirms what many already suspected—mainstream media coverage of the war in Gaza has been dangerously compromised. When the Times published a harrowing image of an emaciated child, claiming the boy was a victim of Israel’s blockade-induced famine, it made headlines across the globe. But the truth told a different story.

London-based journalist David Collier uncovered the facts: the boy in question, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, suffers from cerebral palsy and other pre-existing health conditions. His tragic image was “weaponised,” Collier said, to serve a political narrative. “Almost all major media outlets became Hamas’s useful idiots,” he added, criticising them for amplifying propaganda without verifying basic facts.

This is more than journalistic malpractice. It is a breach of trust that feeds global outrage and misdirects political pressure—not toward Hamas, the actual cause of Gaza’s suffering—but toward Israel, the only liberal democracy in the region.

Let’s be clear: no one wants to see suffering in Gaza. But the brutal truth is that Hamas engineers that suffering. It steals aid, stores weapons in hospitals, uses children as human shields, and launches attacks from residential neighbourhoods. These are the same terrorists who raped, murdered and kidnapped innocents on October 7. Their goal is not peace or coexistence—it is the annihilation of Israel.

This is why the push for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state is not just premature—it’s reckless. President Donald Trump was right when he said, “It’s too early to be talking about a two-state solution.” Giving statehood to a territory still under the control—or looming influence—of Hamas or the corrupt, antisemitic Palestinian Authority would only legitimise terror and prolong suffering.

Contrast this with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has piled pressure on Israel while downplaying the real culprits. Albanese told a caucus meeting this week that “those claims that there is no starvation are beyond comprehension.” But rather than criticise Hamas for hoarding food and holding hostages, he blames Israel for not letting journalists in—a talking point lifted straight from Hamas’s PR machine.

This plays right into Hamas’s strategy. Their leaders know that Western politicians and media will take the bait if enough shocking images surface, regardless of their truth. Every civilian death, every starving child, becomes a tool for their global campaign to delegitimise Israel.

That’s why Family First rejects the rush to recognise a Palestinian state under current conditions. There can never be a second state if that state is run by terrorists or their apologists. Recognition now would be a reward for violence and a betrayal of both Israelis and Palestinians who deserve peace and security.

Family First stands with those demanding truth in journalism, accountability from Hamas, and unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

It’s time to stop playing Hamas’s game. Australia must not be complicit.