Key Takeaways:
A story accusing Israeli soldiers of torturing a one-year-old toddler in Gaza circulated widely this week across Hamas affiliated media, social media and regional outlets. It was emotive, shocking, and designed to provoke outrage.
It was also false.
The claim seems to have appeared in reporting carried by TRT World, the Turkish public broadcaster, which alleged that a Palestinian toddler had been abused in Israeli custody, including claims of cigarette burns used to pressure his father during interrogation.
The framing was clear. Israeli soldiers were portrayed as deliberately harming a baby.
As soon as we saw the TRT report, we showed the photo to a medical professional who pointed out that a cigarette burn would appear as a much more regular-shaped circle than the wounds in the photo, which have more irregular borders. In addition, if a nail had been used to puncture the skin significantly, as was alleged, the degree of redness and swelling would be far worse.
Within days, the Israel Defense Forces issued a direct and detailed denial. According to reporting by The Times...
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