A video is circulating showing an alleged Palestinian child with a disfigured face. According to supporters of the Palestinian cause, it was the Israelis who reduced it to this state using unspecified banned weapons. In reality, the child had nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza and his face was not disfigured by a banned weapon. For this and other controls, we recommend both”Pro-Israeli propaganda hoaxes” And “Pro-Palestinian propaganda hoaxes“.
For those in a hurry
- Images of the disfigured child were already circulating before the start of the conflict in Gaza, triggered after the massacre of October 7, 2023.
- The video was published by a Moroccan boy, head of an association that cares for children with a genetic disease.
- What damaged the child's face was not a banned Israeli weapon, but a genetic disease called Xeroderma Pigmentosus.
Analyzes
Here is an example of sharing in Italian by the Facebook page Palestine lives:
A Palestinian child in Gaza, whose face was disfigured by shrapnel from banned weapons used by the occupying army in its attacks on defenseless homes and children, with the support of America . And Europe
The post, initially posted by user Rami Ahmad Bethlehem, was later shared by other Italian users who support Palestine, reporting the same text in Italian. However, here is the text in English:
A Palestinian child in Gaza, whose face was disfigured by shrapnel from banned weapons used by the occupying army in its assault on defenseless homes and children, with the support of America .
No weapons banned by Israel
The video was first shared on December 26, 2023 by Ahmed Zainoun's Instagram account. The message is not about Gaza or a Palestinian child at all, but about a person with UV-related problems.
The Moroccan association
Ahmed is responsible for the Moon Voice Morocco association, as reported in his Linkedin profile. This is an association that cares for children suffering from xeroderma pigmentosum, a genetic disease that makes the skin extremely sensitive to UV rays.
The images have been circulating since before October 7, 2023
On the association's Instagram profile, we find a photo, published on September 11, 2023 (well before the current conflict), where the head of the association is filmed with the child (with the same clothes as in the video) .
Conclusions
The video does not at all depict a Palestinian child disfigured by an Israeli weapon banned in Gaza. The clip and photos have been circulating for some time and were published by a Moroccan association that cares for children with a genetic disease called Xeroderma Pigmentosus.
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