On social media, an image of a young boy whose hands can be seen cut off has gone viral. While sharing the image users claim, “This is Hamas militant Mohammad Mahroof of Palestine Gaza. On 7 October 2023, he cut the Jewish children of Israel into pieces and cooked their flesh in the oven and ate some of them by roasting them alive in the oven. Some were thrown into a pool, poured petrol on them and set on fire. They were very young children. Israel has disarmed him and left him alive.”
Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found that the claim was false. We found a media report from ‘Reuters’ published on 28 Aug, 2024 which stated, “Palestinian teenager Diaa Al-Adini, who had his both arms amputated after being wounded in an Israeli strike on August 13 and was transferred from Al-Aqsa hospital due to an Israeli evacuation oder, is helped by his sister Aya to drink iced juice on a beach outside a field hospital, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.”
We found a similar image uploaded on image website ‘Alamy’ posted on 31 Aug, 2024 with the caption that claimed that Palestinian teenager, Diaa Al-Adini, was severely wounded in an Israeli army attack on an apartment on the al-Qastal Towers east of Deir al Balah, He lost both his arms in Deir al Balah, Gaza.
Moreover, we also found the same image on the ‘Getty image’ website uploaded on 31 Aug, 2024 with the description, “Palestinian teenager, Diaa Al-Adini, who was severely wounded in an Israeli army attack targeted on an apartment on the al-Qastal Towers east of Deir al Balah, loses both of his arms in Deir al Balah, Gaza on August 31, 2024. Doctors are forced to amputate the limbs of many patients in order to keep the wounded alive due to medical shortages in hospitals.”
Conclusion
It is evident from the DFRAC’s fact check that the viral image is not of a Hamas militant, Mohammad Mahroof, but of 15-year-old Palestinian Diaa Al-Adini. Diaa Al-Adini. He was severely wounded in an Israeli army attack on August 2024. Therefore, the claim of certain social media users is misleading.
