Old, Unrelated Image of Deceased Children Falsely Linked to Israel-Hamas War

We found the image uploaded on stock image websites dating back to 2013. It is unrelated to the ongoing war.

(Trigger Warning: Disturbing visuals)

An image of several deceased children wrapped in white cloth is being shared on the internet, with users linking it to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

What have users said?: People have shared the image with a caption saying, "My heart is so heavy. May Allah protect the people of Palestine and grant the martyrs the highest level of Jannah."

The image was viewed more than 8,000 times at the time of writing this report. You can view archives of similar claims here, here, and here.

Are these claims true?: No, neither the image is recent nor is it related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

• The image has been online since 2013, and shows deceased children lying on the ground in the outskirts of Syria's Damascus after they were killed in a toxic gas attack allegedly by pro-government forces.

What led us to the truth?: A simple reverse image search directed us to the same picture uploaded on the stock image website, Alamy.

• The image was taken in August 2013.

• Its caption said, "Dead children lie on the ground as Syrian rebels claim they were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces in eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus in Syria on August 21, 2013. The Syrian government has denied the claims from the opposition that it has used chemical weapons. The UN is investigating."

News reports: According to a report published in RT International, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that a homemade rocket containing chemical substances was launched from an area controlled by the opposition.

• It mentioned that conflicting reports of recent chemical weapons use in Syria emerged.

• United Nations (UN) inspectors had visited Damascus to investigate the allegations of use of toxic arms.

• The report further said that the death toll ranged from dozens to almost 1,300.

Conclusion: It is clear that a decade-old and unrelated photo is being shared on the internet with users falsely linking it to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

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