Benjamin Netanyahu is considering legal action against The New York Times over a photograph of a malnourished child he has described as “fake”.

The Israeli prime minister accused the newspaper of defaming Israel with its coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

A front-page photo of Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, an emaciated 18-month-old boy, sparked international outrage last month.

The child’s mother said he had been “born healthy” before suffering severe malnutrition.

Later reports revealed he had suffered from cerebral palsy and complications linked to a genetic disorder – details which were absent from the original piece.

At a press conference announcing his plans to expand military operations and occupy Gaza City, Mr Netanyahu accused the international press of having bought Hamas propaganda “hook, line, and sinker”.

He then displayed a picture of The New York Times front page from July 25 with the word “fake” branded across it, saying: “I’m looking right now into the possibility of a governmental suit against The New York Times, because this is outrageous.

“These are the three most celebrated photos, and they’re all fake. We won’t allow it to go unchallenged, and this is the purpose of this press conference. I hope you can open your eyes to the simple fact that Hamas lies.”

The New York Times updated the story to give readers “a greater understanding” of Mohammed’s situation, but defended its reporting.

A spokesman of the newspaper said: “After publication, we learned that a child shown in that story – in addition to being severely malnourished – also had pre-existing health problems. That additional information gave readers a greater understanding of his situation.”

“Attempts to threaten independent media providing vital information and accountability to the public are unfortunately an increasingly common playbook.”