Behind-the-Scenes Film Footage Circulated as Palestinians Staging Child's Death
The Claim
A video shows people in Gaza faking and staging death.
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Emerging story
Following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, social media users widely circulated a video clip purporting to show Hamas staging the death of a child to make it seem like Israel was responsible.
An X user published the video along with the caption, “BREAKING: A video showing the fake death of a child from Hamas strikes, is going viral on social networks.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral footage and found the claim to be misleading.
After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the video making the rounds to be a “behind-the-scenes” of a short film production.
The Video Was Shot During a Short Palestinian Film's Production
The circulating video has no relation to the ongoing war. It is part of the behind-the-scenes of a short film titled "Empty Place" by the Palestinian director Awni Eshtaiwe. It is about the story of the prisoner Ahmed Manasra who was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces after being injured in occupied Jerusalem in 2015.
The director posted a short scene from the film on his Facebook account on April 19, 2022. The child featured in the footage currently circulating is indeed identical to the one who appeared in the film scenes.
The director also uploaded the short film to YouTube on April 19, 2022.
The cinematographer, Mohamed Awawdeh, shared the video that was circulating on his TikTok account in April 2022. He clarified that it was from the filming of a scene featuring settlers' attack on the child Manasra.
An online advocacy campaign was initiated by Palestinians and solidarity activists in support of the case of the prisoner Ahmed Manasra in April 2022. This campaign was launched after his family appealed to the world to stand by their son and demand his release from Israeli isolation prisons.
Israel-Gaza War Key Events
Israeli occupation forces arrested Ahmed when he was just 13 years old after he was run over and beaten by settlers in occupied Jerusalem. This was based on Israel's claim that he was attempting a stabbing attack alongside his cousin, Hasan, who was martyred at the time.
An Israeli minister has declared that no electricity, fuel, or humanitarian assistance will be allowed into Gaza until Hamas releases all Israeli captives. Israel continued its intense bombardment of Gaza through air raids, resulting in the loss of many people.
Officials in Gaza have warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe as the region's sole power plant had to shut down due to a fuel shortage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in response to Hamas's surprise operation, pledged to "destroy" the group and announced the formation of an emergency unity government with opposition leader Benny Gantz.
Israel's air strikes killed over 1,200 Palestinians in Gaza. While in Israel, more than 1,300 people have been killed during the ongoing war.
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