Viral Photo of Bullet-Damaged Classroom Isn't From Afghanistan

MENA: In the midst of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, many have focused on the future of the country – especially when it comes to women’s rights in Afghanistan and the ability for girls to continue to receive an education while under Taliban control. 

To shine a light on this issue, an image of a bullet-riddled classroom where girls were being taught began spreading on social media. However, we discovered that the image didn’t originate from Afghanistan but rather was taken in Gaza. The earliest version of the photo we found was shared on Twitter on September 16, 2014, by Tweet_Palestine. Similar images of the same classroom have appeared in a number of news articles as well. The photo was taken in 2014 at a school in Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood following the 50-day war between Gaza and Israel.