Children's YouTube star Ms.Rachel faced renewed scrutiny on Sunday after a 2025 video of her calling Palestinian photojournalist, Motaz Azaiza, her "friend," resurfaced, days after Azaiza admitted he deliberately withheld footage of Israeli hostages being beaten by a crowd in Gaza on Oct.
7, 2023.The short video appears to show Ms.Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, introducing Azaiza to her young audience while teaching the letter "M.""Hi, yes, it’s M, for my friend, Motaz.
Yay! Bye!" Accurso said.Ms.Rachel referred to Palestinian photojournalist Motaz Azaiza as her "friend" in a resurfaced video that circulated after his recent Oct.
7 comments drew renewed attention.(Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images)MS RACHEL CONFRONTED ON ACCUSING ISRAEL OF 'GENOCIDE' IN PARK INTERACTION WITH PODCASTERThe video was originally shared on Instagram and later removed, according to reporting from July 2025.Azaiza, who amassed millions of social media followers documenting the war in Gaza, appeared briefly in the clip and greeted Ms.
Rachel.The video also took on new significance after Azaiza described earlier this month what he witnessed during the Hamas-led Oct.7, 2023, terrorist attack in an extensive interview with journalist Ahmed al-Biqawi on the Arabic-language "Taqarrab" podcast.
Azaiza said he followed a vehicle carrying Israeli captives and filmed as members of a crowd assaulted them.Azaiza said he didn't publish the video, however, as he feared it could put the Palestinians involved at risk."I saw the vehicle of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and there were Israeli captives there," Azaiza said."People got out, watched, beat them, hit them, and I followed them and filmed.
But I did not publish those videos.Why? Because I did not want to ruin the lives of the people who were filmed."Azaiza said he filmed Israeli hostages being beaten by people in Gaza on Oct.
7, 2023, but chose not to publish the footage because those shown could be identifi...