Social media platforms are witnessing a surge in misleading information, particularly amid the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. This includes allegations that cast doubt on the suffering of Palestinians within the “Pallywood” campaign, propagated by Israeli and Western accounts.
In this report, the Palestinian Observatory’s “Tahaqaq” team scrutinizes several of these new claims and refutes them as follows:
1-Doubt Regarding the Authenticity of a Photo Showing a Palestinian Prisoner Allegedly Generated by Artificial Intelligence:
The account “Lisa Liel” on the X platform posted a photo showing a young man bound to a chair facing an Israeli soldier. The account claimed that the image was generated by artificial intelligence, pointing out inconsistencies such as the absence of the soldier’s shadow on the person in the chair.
The Observatory’s team verified the photo’s authenticity using the “Hivemoderation” tool, confirming it was real and not generated by AI. The soldier, identified as “Yosee Gamzoo,” posted the picture himself before deleting his account on Facebook.
The Hebrew newspaper “Ynetnews” also confirmed the authenticity of the photo published by an Israeli army soldier of himself with a detainee from Gaza, as it indicated that the soldier was released from the reserve service, and the Palestinian detainee was released after the end of the investigation, according to what it quoted from the
2-Doubt Regarding the Assassination of Three Youths Inside Jenin Hospital:
An account named “GAZAWOOD” questioned the veracity of the assassination of three Palestinians by an Israeli special force on January 30, 2024, inside Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin. The doubts were based on various points, including the alleged victim not wearing typical hospital attire.
The Observatory investigated and communicated with “Ibn Sina” Hospital, confirming that the victim, Basl al-Ghazawi, had been hospitalized since October 25, 2023, due to spinal injuries sustained during an Israeli attack. The doubts raised by the account were debunked, and the video evidence presented was authentic.
3-Doubt Regarding a Video Capturing the Evacuation of Injured Individuals in Rafah:
An account named “Palestine Fiction” posted a video showing injured individuals waiting for cameras to be properly set up before being evacuated. The account suggested that the scene was staged.
The Observatory verified the video’s authenticity, confirming it was documented by journalist Mahmoud Bassam. The footage captured real events of civilians evacuating the wounded after an Israeli attack, contradicting the claim that it was staged.
4-Doubt Regarding a Video of Children Reacting to an Explosion During a Children’s Entertainment Event:
Accounts “PalestinFiction” and “GAZAWOOD1” shared a video depicting children and journalists reacting to an explosion during a children’s entertainment event. The accounts suggested that fireworks were intentionally set off, blaming Israel.
The Observatory found that the video documented a real event – an entertainment event for displaced children in Rafah. However, it was manipulated to fit a misleading narrative, as the explosion was caused by an Israeli rocket targeting a civilian vehicle near the event.
The Observatory team found another video of the same incident documented by journalist Adli Abu Taha, who explained to “Tahaqaq” the details of what happened: “We were covering a recreational event for displaced children in al-Shaboura camp in Rafah on February 7 of this month, and during the coverage, a civilian vehicle near the camp gate was targeted by two missiles by the Israeli occupation army, which caused the children to panic after they heard the sound of shelling during the recreational event.” He categorically denied using fireworks during the recreational event for children, documenting the targeting of the vehicle that resulted in the death of a person inside it.
In summary, the Palestinian Observatory’s “Tahaqaq” team debunks various misleading claims circulating on social media and provides accurate information to counteract false narratives surrounding the ongoing conflict.
| Prosecution sources | Verification sources |
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