No, this photo doesn't show Israeli settlers trying to harm a Palestinian child

(Trigger Warning: This report contains disturbing descriptions of physical assault. Readers' discretion is advised.)

What is the claim?

A photo showing some people in a kippah, a Jewish head covering, pulling a person was shared on social media with the claim that it shows Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank trying to tear apart a Palestinian child. 

Multiple X (formerly Twitter) users posted the photo, writing things like, "Settler savages try to tear a Palestinian child apart in the occupied West Bank..🇵🇸💔" Others seemed to directly connect it with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, alleging that such incidents are on the rise following October 7. Archived versions of such posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

Screenshots of social media posts claiming the photo shows Israeli settlers tearing apart a Palestinian child. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

This image was shared as Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip continues into its eighth month. On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, killing over 1200 and kidnapping over 250 hostages. Since then, Israel has launched an assault on Gaza, killing more than 37,000 people, including 15,000 children, according to the Gaza health ministry.

However, we found that the claim surrounding this photograph is inaccurate, as the photo is old and shows Israeli men trying to resist an attempt by police to drag away a fellow Israeli settler. 

What is the truth?

Using reverse image search, we found the same photo uploaded on the Getty Images site on September 13, 2009. The picture does show Israeli settlers but in a different context. 

According to the caption, the photo shows settlers at the entrance of the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. "Israeli settlers try to pull a fellow settler as he is dragged away by border policemen during clashes at the entrance to the illegal outpost of Havat Gilad, west of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, after Israeli police tried to confiscate a truck containing material to build a new house on September 13, 2009," the caption read. 

This proves the image does not show settlers trying to tear apart a Palestinian child, as claimed. It is also clear that the photo has no connection with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. 

What are Israeli settlements?

According to Al Jazeera, settlers are Israeli citizens "who live on private Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem." They number more than 700,000, over 10 percent of Israel's population, and are spread across hundreds of settlements. The Israeli government has also funded these settlements, and recent reports suggest they plan to "ramp up settlement expansion in occupied West Bank."

The United Nations Security Council and organizations like Amnesty International have already termed the Israeli settlements as illegal. 

The verdict

Although the photo shows Israeli settlers, they are not trying to tear apart a Palestinian child, as claimed. The image captures a moment when Israeli settlers were trying to resist an attempt by police to drag away a fellow settler. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.