FACT CHECK: Viral X Image Does Not Show Israeli Settlers Trying To Tear Palestinian Child Apart
The summary revolves around a misleading viral image shared on social media, falsely claiming to depict Israeli settlers attacking a Palestinian child. The image, widely circulated and initially misinterpreted, actually shows Israeli settlers in 2009 attempting to prevent border police from dragging away a settler during a clash at Havat Gilad in the West Bank. This image misunderstanding seems to have been used to fuel tensions amidst ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Additionally, the context involves Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements about continuing conflicts with Hamas, hinting at ongoing and complex geopolitical strife in the region. The misinformation highlights the critical need for accurate media interpretation to prevent escalating tensions or misunderstanding in such sensitive issues.
A viral image shared on X purports to show Israeli settlers tearing a Palestinian child apart.
Settler savages try to tear a Palestinian child apart in the occupied West Bank..🇵🇸💔 pic.twitter.com/U44SEL0Rze
— Pelham (@Resist_05) June 26, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is false. The image, which was originally shared to Getty Images in 2009, shows Israeli settlers trying to pull a fellow settler away from border police.
Fact Check:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told Israeli lawmakers that the country’s war with Hamas will not end until “Hamas is eliminated,” according to USA Today. Netanyahu’s comments follow criticism he received for appearing to reject a “cease-fire plan,” the outlet reported.
The X image, viewed over one million times, purports to show Israeli settlers tearing a Palestinian child apart. “Settler savages try to tear a Palestinian child apart in the occupied West Bank,” the image’s caption reads. The image shows an individual being held by his hands and feet within a small crowd of people.
The claim is false. The image, which was originally shared to Getty Images in 2009, shows Israeli settlers trying to pull a fellow settler away from border police.
“Israeli settlers try to pull a fellow settler as he is dragged away by border policemen during clashes at the entrance to the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, west of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, after Israeli police tried to confiscate a truck containing material to build a new house on September 13, 2009,” the post’s caption begins.
“The United States has been trying for months to secure an Israeli settlement freeze while pressing Arab states for reciprocal concessions to clear the way for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks suspended in late December,” it continues. (RELATED: No, Reuters Did Not Report That Israel Would Attack Lebanon Within ’48 Hours’ On June 22)
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image featured in any recent credible news reports about the current Israel-Hamas conflict. Actually, the opposite is true. On June 26, Snopes debunked the claim, reporting that the image originally stemmed from Getty Images and showed the 2009 incident.
In addition, the image is neither referenced on the website for Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates nor its verified X account.
Check Your Fact has contacted Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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