While the people of the Gaza Strip suffer from the crimes committed by the Israeli army during the ongoing war on Gaza since October 2023, images generated using artificial intelligence techniques are circulating on social media.
Although real images accurately depicting the situation are just as horrifying as AI-generated ones, fake images spread widely and have deceptive effects. They can distort truths and mislead, particularly in Israeli media and campaigns that seek to minimize the suffering of Gaza Strip residents. These fake images proliferate rapidly on social media platforms, making it challenging for users to distinguish them from real images.
Israeli Soldiers Unleash Dog on Elderly Palestinian Woman While Sleeping
On June 25, Al-Jazeera aired exclusive footage of an Israeli occupation army police dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. The leaked footage, captured by a camera mounted on the dog by occupation soldiers, shows the moment it attacked the elderly woman while she lay in bed, screaming as the dog mauled and dragged her.
Hajja Dawlat Abdullah Al-Tanani said that Israeli occupation forces unleashed a dog on her while she was sleeping because she refused to leave her home in the Jabalia refugee camp. The dog dragged her out of the room, causing serious injuries from the attack. She emphasized that there were no hospitals or medications available for treatment. These scenes have sparked widespread anger and condemnation toward the occupation army's actions against the elderly woman.
Several hours later, an AI-generated image depicting the crime against the elderly woman in Gaza was circulated. The image gained widespread traction on social media. Although it accurately conveyed the gravity of the crime, some websites and users shared the AI-generated image as real, despite its creation using artificial intelligence techniques.
The image was initially shared on June 25 on the Instagram account of a designer named Islam Nour. He clarified that the image was an artistic creation and design by him, not a real depiction, by appending (PS+AI) to his post. Furthermore, the details of the image and the appearance of the dog clearly indicate its artificial nature.
Returning to the scenes aired by Al-Jazeera showing the dog attacking the elderly woman, it is evident that her attire differs from that depicted in the circulated image. Additionally, the Israeli dog shown in the AI-generated image does not resemble the one that attacked the Palestinian woman.
AI-Generated Images of Children in Gaza
Misbar reviewed various websites and social media platforms and discovered numerous AI-generated images released to depict the humanitarian situation of children in Gaza during the ongoing Israeli war. These images are being circulated as real, with supporters and artists using them to advocate for Gaza. This widespread dissemination contributes to misinformation, despite hundreds of authentic images showing children in Gaza in even more dire humanitarian conditions.
In late October, a photo was published showing two children crying and looking at the sky with a corpse in front of them, allegedly their mother. It is noteworthy that this image continues to be circulated by accounts and pages today, being portrayed as real.
However, upon closer examination, the image exhibits numerous distortions indicating it is fabricated and generated using artificial intelligence techniques. For example, the faces and features appear drawn and unnatural, with noticeable discrepancies in the number and shape of fingers. These anomalies are common in AI-generated images, as current tools still struggle with accurately depicting details such as fingers, toes, realistic facial features, and background elements, despite advancements in AI technology.
Searching for these images also reveals dozens of similar AI-generated images published during the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, presented as real images of children in severe humanitarian situations. All these images exhibit the aforementioned distortions, including drawn features, backgrounds, discrepancies in the number of fingers, shapes of blood, explosions, and more.
Similarly, a photo of a child under rubble holding a balloon gained widespread circulation on social media and websites, presented as a photo of a Palestinian child in the Gaza Strip.
Further investigation reveals that this image was initially published on the Instagram account of Ibrahim Al-Sayed on October 31, 2023. Al-Said commented on his post, saying, “I tried to embody hope despite the pain which Gaza people have with artificial intelligence.”
Rain Floods the Tents of Displaced People in Gaza
In January 2024, heavy rainfall inundated the governorates of the Gaza Strip, worsening the plight of hundreds of thousands of displaced people, including thousands of children, living in tents. Distressing scenes emerged from the Gaza Strip showing flooded tents and the dire conditions faced by the displaced in shelter centers. Numerous real images were published showing children submerged in water inside their tents across different governorates of the Gaza Strip. These images highlighted the severe tragedy faced by the displaced due to the ongoing Israeli war, at a time when they were already struggling with shortages of clothing and blankets.
However, some websites and several social media users published not only real photos but also AI-generated images claiming to depict children sleeping in a tent as it was being flooded.
Whether these publications were intended to deceive and blur the lines between fabricated and real scenes, or simply to express solidarity with the tragic situation, it is clear that Israeli media and pro-Israel parties exploit these images. Their aim is to undermine the suffering of Gaza Strip residents and justify ongoing violations and crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza. These images also erode sympathy and solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war.
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