Photo Does Not Feature a Somali Soldier Killed in Gaza
Emerging story
Amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, social media users shared a photo claiming to show Abshir Daahir, a Somali national from Hargeisa, Somaliland, whom the Palestinian resistance killed in Gaza.
An X user posted the photo, along with the caption, “Abshir Daahir, originally of Somali origin from Hargeisa in the Somaliland region of Somalia, was confirmed to have died in Gaza during clashes with Hamas. He served in Israel’s special forces. His death is deeply saddening.”
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Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral photo and found the claim to be misleading; the photo does not feature a Somali soldier killed in the Gaza war.
Outdated Photo Shows an Ethiopian Serving in the Israeli Military
Misbar’s team conducted a thorough reverse image search and found the image to be older than alleged.
The photo shows a person named Bezalel Yaakov, an Ethiopian-Israeli soldier, who uploaded it to his Facebook account on February 14, 2024.
In the translated caption, Yaakov described himself as a foreign agent fighting for Israel in Lebanon and added both the Ethiopian and Israeli flags. He wrote, “Whoever does not understand that Lebanon needs to go back a thousand years does not understand what we are fighting for.”
After the claim spread online, Yaakov appeared on Israel’s Channel 14, mocking the publisher who circulated the rumor.
He shared the interview footage with the translated caption, “I was sad to learn I died in Gaza. Send me my condolences. Sorry to spoil your fun, but it seems that, even as a dead man, I’m functioning better than your brain.”
The Ethiopian Jewish Community in Israel
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, as of November 2023, Israel’s Ethiopian-origin population reached 168,800 by the end of 2022. Of these, 92,100 were born in Ethiopia, and 76,800 were Israeli-born to Ethiopian parents.
The community is concentrated mainly in the Central (36.9%) and Southern (26.4%) districts of the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Netanya hosts the largest number of Ethiopian-origin residents (around 12,200), while Kiryat Malakhi records the highest percentage of Ethiopians within its population (15.1%).
Somaliland Denies Reports of Resettling Palestinians from Gaza
Somalia and its breakaway region of Somaliland rejected claims that the United States or Israel proposed relocating Palestinians from Gaza to their territories. The Associated Press reported in March that America and Israel approached officials in Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland about potential resettlement plans.
Somaliland’s Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan dismissed the claims, stating, “There are no talks with anyone regarding Palestinians.” Sudan and other African states also rejected the alleged proposal. U.S. and Israeli officials have not issued public comments.
Despite its lack of international recognition, Somaliland has remained largely stable since declaring independence in 1991. In May, Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi told The Guardian that recognition “is on the horizon,” expressing confidence the territory will soon achieve long-sought self-determination after 34 years.
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