An analysis of 180 articles from the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times and CNN found that coverage of hunger in Gaza frequently linked the crisis to political decisions and identified responsibility rather than treating it only as a humanitarian emergency. Tracking the same outlets through early August 2026 also shows that this coverage came in sharp waves, with periods of intense reporting separated by months of limited attention even as severe food insecurity persisted.

In conflict reporting, the question is rarely only about what happened. It is also who gets to explain what happened. The findings here suggest that the answer to that question often shapes the story that audiences ultimately receive.