Old stock photo used in undocumented claim of killed Israeli sniper

Context

On social media users have shared a claim that an Israeli sniper by the name of Barib Yariel was killed by Hamas in November 2023.

Along with the claim, users shared an image of what appears to be an Israeli soldier lying flat on his stomach, taking aim with a rifle. 

One post on X (formerly Twitter), containing the claim and image, has been viewed 2.1 million times. 

However, the image is a stock photo that has been used in numerous news reports as far back as October 2019. It doesn't appear to show a sniper. No soldier by the name of Barib Yariel has been reported dead during the current Israel-Gaza war. 

In fact

A Google reverse image search shows the image used in the posts has appeared in numerous news reports. The earliest example we could find is from October 2019 in a report detailing how two young men were wounded by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. We found no photographer or photo agency for the image. 

A military expert from the Royal Danish Defence College told Logically Facts there were several clues that the image included in the post was old and didn't show an Israeli sniper. 

For one, the rifle in the image appears to be a U.S.-made M16 family assault rifle - not a sniper rifle. The IDF has phased out the M16 family, suggesting the image to be old. 

The rifle sight is not a telescopic, used on sniper rifles, but appears to be an aim point which has only limited, if any, magnification. 

Snipers don't usually wear helmets, especially not ones with visors as they reflect sunlight. 

Israeli soldiers currently in Gaza wear full combat gear while the soldier in the image is wearing riot control equipment.

When asked about the claim, the IDF referred us to a page on the army's website where Israeli soldiers who have died in the war are listed. The list only includes names that have been allowed to be published. The name Barib Yariel does not appear on the list.  

The IDF would not answer whether they have employed a soldier by that name during the war. 

The verdict

The image is a stock photo used in numerous news reports since October 2019. Based on the equipment used by the soldier, the image does not appear to show a sniper. No soldier by the name of Barib Yariel has been reported dead during the current Israel-Gaza war. Therefore, we have marked this claim as misleading.