FACT CHECK: Image Of Young Boy With Burns Not Linked To Current Israel-Hamas Conflict
An image shared on X, formerly Twitter, claims to show a young boy who purportedly sustained burns as a result of the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
(Warning: Graphic content)
Verdict: False
The image originally stems from a 2019 article published by the Swedish newspaper Expressen, which identifies the boy as Mohammed Hamid. The same article indicates Hamid was injured in Syria.
Fact Check:
A recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza unintentionally killed seven people working for the charity World Central Kitchen, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reuters reported. Netanyahu referred to the event as “tragic” via a video statement, the outlet indicated.
“We Will Never Forget. We Will Fight Back Till [sic] our Last Breath. This kid was bombed with U.S. tax payers’ [sic] money, dropped by the vile [sic] of the Earth. We Will Never Forget,” the X post’s caption reads, adding the hashtag “#FreePalestine.” The image, viewed over 6,000 times, purports to show a young boy who has purportedly sustained burns as a result of the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
The claim is false, however. The image originally stems from a 2019 article published by the Swedish newspaper Expressen, which identifies the boy as Hamid. The same article indicates Hamid was injured in Syria.
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the image referenced in any recent credible news reports about the current Israel-Hamas conflict. In fact, the opposite is true. Misbar also reported the image predates the current conflict and is from 2019 via an April 3 article.
Additionally, the outlet cited a 2023 article from Gercek News correcting Hamid’s identity. Hamid, who was 17 years old at the time of the article, is Kurdish, not Palestinian, contrary to a claim previously made by Turkish journalist Erem Senturk, according to Gercek News. Hamid was burned by white phosphorus in Syria in 2019 during a Turkish bombardment, the outlet reported.
Furthermore, Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has neither issued a press release via its website nor a statement shared via its verified X account commenting on the viral image. (RELATED: Posts Claim Hamas Likely Killed Aid Workers)
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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