In the early days of the Israel-Gaza conflict, two young boys, both four years old, tragically lost their lives—one of Israeli descent and the other Palestinian. However, I observed numerous social media posts that did not express condolences for their deaths; instead, they sought to deny that these tragic events had occurred.

Omar Bilal al-Banna and Omer Siman-Tov lived approximately 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) apart, on opposite sides of the Israel-Gaza border fence. Although they never had the opportunity to meet, they both shared a love for playing outdoors with their siblings. The images of these young boys have appeared on my social media feed over the past week, as both fell victim to the escalating violence.I have managed to contact family members, friends, and witnesses in both cases, and they all shared a heartbreaking narrative.

Omer Siman-Tov lost his life when Hamas attacked his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Omar Bilal Al Banna met a tragic fate four days later, following an Israeli airstrike in Zeitoun, east of Gaza City.

The denial of these boys' deaths by some social media users symbolizes an information battle that runs parallel to the conflict on the ground. There have been bold attempts to downplay or reject the violence against children. These baseless allegations have deeply affected the grieving families, friends, and witnesses who were present during these distressing events.

The Candle of My Life

Yasmeen, Omar Bilal al-Banna's mother, affectionately refers to her children as "The candle of my life" on Instagram. I was introduced to Yasmeen through the efforts of two photographers who connected me with her. I cross-referenced her social media profiles with the available information to confirm her identity as Omar's mother.

The tragic incident occurred while Omar was playing outside with his older brother, Majd. I've come across footage in which Majd corroborates this account. In the video, he describes how a strike hit their neighbor's house, causing rubble to fall on Omar. Majd was also injured in the incident, with his leg bandaged, and he appeared visibly shocked. The first online post I encountered regarding Omar's death came from a pro-Israeli account on X (formerly known as Twitter). This post included a video featuring a man in a grey polo shirt holding a small child's body wrapped in a white blanket or cloth. Later, I confirmed that the child in the video was Omar.

In the accompanying caption, the person who shared the clip made the false claim: "Hamas is desperate!" They went on to assert that the group, classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the UK, and other nations, had "released a video showing a dead Palestinian baby. But wait for the catch. It's not a real baby; it's a doll." This user alleged that it exposed the deceptive and slanderous propaganda efforts of Hamas and the Palestinians, suggesting that Hamas accounts had initially shared and then deleted the video because it depicted a doll.

According to X, the post containing the video and false claims has been viewed 3.8 million times. These allegations were subsequently propagated by the official State of Israel's account on X. This account shared a new post, this time featuring the same video of the child in the white blanket, along with a still image from the same video, circling the child's face.

In the caption, the account asserted: "Hamas accidentally posted a video of a doll (yes, a doll) suggesting that it was a part of casualties caused by an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] attack." In the hours that followed, other official accounts on X, including profiles associated with Israel's embassies in France and Austria, repeated these claims. They were soon disseminated by both pro-Israel and anti-Hamas accounts, including several that appeared to be based in India. In each instance, these posts maintained that the child was a doll. However, I have personally reviewed the extended footage, and it is unmistakably clear that this is a real person.

I traced the original footage back to the Instagram page of a Palestinian photographer, Moamen El Halabi, who filmed the initial video of the man in the grey shirt holding Omar. I have also made contact with him for further information. I also reached out to another photojournalist, Mohammed Abed, who is employed by the AFP news agency and was present at the same location. He captured an image of the same man holding what seems to be the same child, swathed in a white sheet. This photograph has subsequently been posted on the Getty Images website.

The accompanying caption of the photo depicts the scene as "outside the morgue of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City" and is dated October 12, 2023, which coincides with the day Moamen El Halabi shared the video clip on Instagram. Additional fact-checking organizations like Alt News have also conducted investigations to trace the source of the original photos and videos.

Both photojournalists furnished me with further details that served to validate that the video and the photo were indeed taken at Al-Shifa Hospital, specifically outside the mortuary. These details encompassed information about the circumstances at the hospital on that day, as well as the identification of the man in the grey shirt, who was a relative of Omar. They unequivocally affirmed that the child depicted in both the video and the photo was not a doll but a real young boy—Omar Bilal al-Banna. Furthermore, they provided additional images that I cross-referenced with Moamen El Halabi's original video footage to confirm the child's identity.

Since our conversation, Mohammed Abed has shared an Instagram story featuring the photo he captured. In the caption, he emphatically states, "This picture is not of a doll; it's one I took at Al-Shifa hospital, and it reflects the absolute truth." The misconception that led people to perceive what they saw as a doll rather than a child, in the photograph, appears to be related to the color of Omar's skin. However, Mr. Abed clarified that he had photographed several children who tragically lost their lives in Gaza due to airstrikes, and their skin tones appeared similar.

Yasmeen, Omar's mother, confirmed that her son had indeed been killed by an airstrike. She denounced the falsehoods surrounding the "killing of children and innocent people" as baseless and fabricated, asserting, "They have no right to claim he is a doll." She went on to accuse the Israeli government of deceit and evasion regarding their actions and atrocities.

A spokesperson from the Israeli embassy in the UK refrained from directly addressing these specific social media posts or the circumstances of Omar's passing. Instead, they emphasized the importance of scrutinizing instances of misinformation while also accusing the BBC of disseminating false information.

In Memory of Omer

Mor Lacob, a friend of the Siman-Tov family, shared heartwarming memories of Omer: "Omer was just an angel. He was so, so, beautiful and cute and pure. He was very close to his sisters. They were always playing together, and they were so kind to him."

On the sunny Saturday morning when Hamas gunmen breached the Gaza perimeter fence and attacked their kibbutz, Mor messaged the family on WhatsApp. They confirmed that they had reached their shelter, but unfortunately, that was the last communication she received.

Subsequent messages sent to her friends remained unanswered. Mor Lacob later learned that Omer's parents, Tamar and Yonatan, had tragically lost their lives. Their three children—Omer and his older sisters, Shachar and Arbel—perished when their home was engulfed in flames. Their tragic story has been extensively covered by major news outlets.

A poignant photograph captures Omer, smiling, surrounded by his parents and sisters. This image was shared by the Israeli government's account on X, describing them as "an entire family wiped out by Hamas terrorists. There are no words. May their memory be a blessing." It was also shared by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

However, when I delved into the comments below this post, alongside expressions of shock and support, I encountered unexpected sentiments. Several accounts supportive of Hamas asserted that Omer had been a "paid actor" because they claimed that Hamas "didn't kill kids." Others labeled this as "Jewish propaganda at its finest," stating that neither Omer nor his sisters had perished. Some even went as far as saying, "there's no evidence" of their deaths and demanded that the "lying" cease.

As I explored various posts and videos featuring the Siman-Tov family across different social media platforms, I came across dozens and dozens of similar comments. Some insinuated that Omer and his sisters had been "crisis actors," individuals paid to enact a tragic event.

(Information as per BBC News correspondent - Ms. Marianna Spring)