This Photo Shows a Syrian Woman, Not a Gazan Victim
The Claim
A photo shows an old victim of the Rafah massacre.
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Emerging story
Recently, social media users have been circulating an image claiming to depict an old injured woman targeted by Israel.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the footage and found the claim to be misleading.
The photo predates the Rafah massacre. The image shows an old woman that was injured in Idlib, Syria.
On February 20, 2024, the Syrian regime forces fired shells at Afis village in the east of Idlip, which resulted in hitting residential houses, killing a woman and injuring her sister and mother, identified as 79-year old Rasmiya Masri.
The photo was taken by the Syrian photographer, Fared Alhor who published it on Instagram and X platforms, blaming Assad and Putin regimes.
Russian Involvement in the Syrian Civil War
The Russian military involvement followed a request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin, according to Syria's state news agency, to fight terrorism.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko says Russia chose to involve itself in Syria after receiving a request from "legitimate Syrian authorities." Meanwhile Russia announced that it will target ISIS fighters as part of a plan to fight terrorism.
As the Syrian government had lost control of several provinces including Idlip, Aleppo, Hassakeh, Deir Azzor, Derra, and Quneitra, the provincial capital of Raqqa with its strategic water and oil resources was seized by ISIS, and served as the seat of power for the Islamic state. On September 30, 2015, the Russian Federation formally launched the military intervention in Syria.
The 14 Year Old Civil War in Syria
Since the start of war in Syria 10 years ago, the Syrian people have been under threat. As the situation shifted quickly from local protests to a full-scale war including the systematic abuse of ISIS.
Over the course of 14 years, more than 12 million Syrians have been forced to flee the conflict and leave their homes behind, often multiple times.
A significant part of Syria’s infrastructure has also been destroyed. As of March 2023, more than 200,000 civilians have been killed by Syrian regime forces and Iranian militias throughout the ongoing conflict in Syria. A further 6,950 are estimated to have been killed by Russian forces.
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