A picture of an injured girl on the ground with a child next to her trying to pull her, was shared on social media platforms with the following caption: “As they were going out to look for water, the Israeli occupation forces sniped them for entertainment. No world, has the blood of the children of Gaza become so cheap? How long is this silence going to take in the face of the crimes of the malicious Zionist entity?”
The photo was also published with a caption: “No words. #Gaza #Gazagenocide”.
Kashif verified the photo and found that it was misleading and old, as it was shared on 17 August 2020 of a 6-year-old girl named Ruwaida Saleh from the city of Taaiz in southern Yemen. The picture documents the shooting of the girl in her head by a sniper from the Houthi.
This picture was widely spread on social media and was called the water child because the girl was carrying a bottle in her hand to fill water before her injury. The picture also shows her brother trying to save her by pulling her and crawling out of fear of being targeted by the sniper.
Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli occupation army and soldiers have killed over 12,000 children in the Gaza Strip, according to the numbers of the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
| Source of verification | Source of claim |
Ministry of Health – Gaza alarabiya | بدرالدين سلمان الثلاياء قاهر اخرائيل الصهاينه اليماني الحر شعبان نوندا محمد الحاج ابو يمن |
