No, this image does not show dead Israeli soldiers in Gaza

What is the claim? 

An image of armed soldiers lying on the ground next to a vehicle is circulating on social media, claiming that it shows the bodies of IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers who lost their lives in Gaza City's Shujaiya district during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. One account on X (formerly Twitter) shared the viral picture with the caption, "I'm telling you that the bodies of their soldiers are lying in the streets of Shuja'iyya. This is Shuja'iyya. #Gaza #Shuja'iyya #Conflict." The archived version of this post and similar others can be viewed here, here, and here. 

Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

The image is being shared amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war as Israel advanced its invasion into northern Gaza City's Shujaiya district. Al-Jazeera reported that four Israeli soldiers were "ambushed and killed by Palestinian fighters" in Gaza City's Shujaiya.

However, the viral image is not from the recent Israel-Hamas war but dates back to 2014 and shows IDF soldiers resting near the Israeli-Gaza border. 

What did we find? 

A reverse image search of the viral image led us to a report published by Al-Masry Al-Youm, an Egyptian daily newspaper, on July 23, 2014. The report carried the exact viral image and was captioned, "The Israeli army is asleep on the border with Gaza." 

A Google search led us to a similar image published by Getty Images dated July 15, 2014. The caption reads, "SDEROT, ISRAEL - JULY 15: Israeli soldiers sleep next to armored personnel carriers near the Israeli-Gaza border on July 15, 2014, near Sderot, Israel. As operation 'Protective Edge' enters its eighth day of airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) across the Gaza Strip." The image is credited to a photographer named Andrew Burton. We could see several similarities between the two images — including the soldier lying down with a cap covering his face and a soldier in particular who can be clearly seen in both pictures.

Comparison between the viral picture and Getty Images. (Source: X/Getty Images/Screenshot)

Getty Images published several similar pictures with the same details, which can be viewed here.

Additionally, the Financial Times published similar images of IDF soldiers resting on July 15, 2014. The image description reads, "Israeli soldiers sleep next to armored personnel carriers at the Israeli-Gaza border on Tuesday near Sderot, Israel, as operation 'Protective Edge' entered its eighth day of airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces across the Gaza Strip."

2014 operation "Protective Edge"

The 2014 war in Gaza, also known as "Operation Protecting Edge," was a military operation launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip, which began on July 8, 2014, where more than 1,462 Palestinian civilians were believed to have died. After the violence that lasted over 50 days, Israel and the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip agreed to a ceasefire on August 26 of the same year.

The verdict

A ten-year-old image of Israeli soldiers resting near the Israel-Gaza border is now being shared with a misleading narrative, claiming that it shows the bodies of Israeli forces who lost their lives in Gaza City's Shujaiya district during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.