Hamas-Tied "Journalist" Agrees to Stage Famine Scene for Cash

Motasem Dalloul, a "journalist" with ties to Hamas, was caught greenlighting staged crisis footage in exchange for cash

Motasem Ahmed Dalloul is a name you’ve likely never heard of—but you should. He’s a Gaza-based “journalist” with a verified X account of over 140,000 followers, and a correspondent at Middle East Monitor, a UK-based propaganda outlet masquerading as a media organization. To many in the Western press, he’s treated as a credible source. But behind the scenes, Dalloul isn’t just manufacturing anti-Israel disinformation—he’s apparently willing to stage it. For cash, of course.

In a stunning exchange with Rabbi Linda Goldstein—a satirical persona created to expose antisemites and self-proclaimed “experts” on Israel who, in reality, know nothing about it—Dalloul appears to eagerly agree to fabricate a “famine scene” in Gaza for Western audiences, in return for personal payment.

“They want to have input on staging a scene for the cameras,” Goldstein writes.
“Go ahead. Put me in touch,” Dalloul replies.
When asked if he can coordinate volunteers to pose for the stunt, Dalloul casually responds: “WhatsApp.”

Source: Rabbi Linda’s post on X

And there you have it: a so-called journalist openly entertaining the idea of staging a humanitarian crisis—for money—to manipulate public opinion and generate pressure against Israel.

This is nothing new for Motasem. Since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, he’s built a reputation by spreading AI-generated images and outright fabrications—weaponizing disinformation to vilify Israel.

A Track Record of Extremism

This isn’t Dalloul’s first brush with deception and fanaticism. As I documented in this thread, he has a long, public history of openly supporting Hamas and spreading antisemitic propaganda. In fact, he appears to be a member of Hamas himself.

In a 2012 Facebook post, he praised Hamas’ refusal to compromise and condemned Fatah supporters to hell. The post was accompanied by a graphic featuring the Hamas logo. A few years later, he posted a grotesque cartoon depicting Jews as hook-nosed rapists—classic antisemitic blood libel. This is in addition to him participating in Hamas marches.

He also received a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and reportedly served as a mentor there—raising serious concerns about radicalization within Western academia.

And in an article published in The Jewish Chronicle, Dalloul is alleged to have engaged in Holocaust denial, calling it a “myth.”

Journalism—or Jihad?

Dalloul is a textbook case of terror-affiliated propaganda laundering as journalism. His content is routinely shared by Western human rights advocates, academics, and journalists eager to highlight alleged Israeli atrocities—many of them never bothering to vet the source. But Dalloul isn’t documenting war crimes. He’s crafting them.

This is not journalism. This is coordinated psychological warfare masquerading as reporting.

If you’ve ever quoted or relied on Dalloul’s reporting, now’s the time for some deep self-reflection. His material has made it into timelines, NGO briefings, and newsrooms across the West. He’s been cited as a primary source by people who claim to care about truth. But as this latest exchange shows, he is not an impartial observer—he is a propagandist willing to manufacture suffering if the price is right.

Western media’s blind trust in voices like his isn’t just embarrassing—it’s dangerous.

The Real Question

How many other “journalists” operating out of Gaza or the West Bank are doing the same thing—just with better operational security? How much of what we see has been curated, staged, or outright fabricated?

Don’t hold your breath for corrections or accountability. But the next time you see a viral photo out of Gaza—ask yourself: Was this journalism? Or theater?

Because in Dalloul’s case, we now know the answer.