Exploiting an Ai-Generated Image To Recycle the “Pallywood” Narrative and Deny the Murder of Muhammad Al-Durrah

On October 31, an account called “Hamas Atrocities” posted a screenshot from the “Eye on Gaza” account, accompanied by a sarcastic comment that read, “Great attempt. It is poetic that supporters of the cause would use a fake AI-generated image to link it to the fake Durrah story.”

The account doubled down on its allegations, asserting that both images were fake, claiming the Sudanese image was generated by artificial intelligence while insisting that the image of Muhammad al-Durrah was real but that its story was fabricated. It added that it was “impossible” for the child to have been injured by the Israeli army. The account also used this narrative to mock expressions of solidarity with Sudan.

The exploitation of the AI-generated image extended far beyond questioning the murder of the child Muhammad al-Durrah. It became a tool used to revive the Israeli “Pallywood” narrative in an effort to generalize the claim that Palestinian documentation is systematically falsified and has been so for decades, painting all documented scenes of Israeli violations as equally dubious.

In a related development, other Israeli accounts recirculated the same allegations. On November 4, the account “Lost In Israel” posted a photograph of Muhammad al-Durrah with his father, accompanied by the caption, “This is how it started in Israel 25 years ago.” The post attempted to revive a narrative denying the Israeli army’s responsibility for the incident and included a link to an investigation it claimed would “reveal the truth about the incident.”

Second Image: Ai-Generated Content in Solidarity With Sudan

Misbar found that the image used by the “Hamas Atrocities” account, which depicted a woman holding her child, was an AI-generated image posted by a Tunisian content creator named “Khabib Ben Ziyou” as part of a video expressing solidarity with victims in El Fasher, Sudan. It was later shared by various pages and activists, including Palestinian accounts, without verification of its source.

Previous monitoring by Misbar of the activity of the “Hamas Atrocities” account—the same account that fabricated the comparison between the AI-generated image and the image of Muhammad al-Durrah—revealed a pattern of systematically promoting propaganda narratives that rely on selective imagery. 

This includes publishing fragmented scenes from Gaza, such as the opening of restaurants or shops, and promoting them as evidence of normal life in the Strip while deliberately ignoring the catastrophic humanitarian conditions caused by the blockade, the collapse of the health sector, and the famine crisis documented in United Nations reports. 

The account also distributes images of overweight individuals to deny malnutrition, dismissing hundreds of documented cases of children who have died or suffered from severe malnutrition. It further focuses on recycling footage from October 7 to justify widespread Israeli violations that contradict the principles of international humanitarian law prohibiting the targeting of civilians.

Old Attempts Renewed: Reports Cast Doubt on the Killing of Child Muhammad Al-Durrah

In 2015, Honest Reporting, an Israeli media lobby known for defending the official narrative of the occupation and for criticizing international coverage that highlights its abuses, published a report titled “On This Day: The Emergence of Al-Durrah and Pallywood,” in which it questioned the killing of Muhammad al-Durrah, documented by France 2 during the Second Intifada.

The report claimed that accusations against the Israeli army were based on edited footage and argued that the cameraman, Talal Abu Rahma, who documented the scene, filmed a distorted clip to make it appear as though the shooting originated from Israeli forces. The organization also presented a video in which it claimed the Israeli army was not positioned where the shots allegedly striking al-Durrah and his father originated, insisting the bullets could not have come from the direction of Israeli soldiers. It further contended that France 2 correspondent Charles Enderlin was not in Gaza at the time and that the filming was carried out by a Palestinian cameraman working with the French broadcaster.

The report accused Palestinians of fabricating scenes during the Second Intifada, including footage it claimed showed some of the wounded laughing, and alleged that Muhammad al-Durrah moved his hand after being killed. These allegations were presented alongside multiple clips to bolster a narrative meant to cast doubt on the authenticity of the footage documenting the child’s death.

These allegations were widely refuted by international journalists and media organizations that witnessed the events.

Testimonies and Field Evidence Refute the Israeli Narrative Regarding the Killing of Muhammad Al-Durrah

The Guardian gathered firsthand accounts of the incident, including from photographer Talal Abu Rahma, who confirmed that the gunfire originated from the Israeli army position opposite the child and his father and that the footage was taken live without reenactment. Charles Enderlin, France 2’s Jerusalem correspondent, also defended the credibility of the report, noting that Abu Rahma’s testimony aligned with those of all journalists and photographers present at the scene. He viewed the campaign against him as politically motivated, especially after his reporting contradicted the Israeli narrative regarding the Camp David negotiations.

The Guardian also documented the observations of its correspondent who arrived at the scene minutes later and noted a clear circle of bullet holes on the opposite wall at a low level consistent with where the child and his father had been sheltering. She also observed a large pool of blood indicating a direct hit. Paramedics confirmed that the child was still alive before the ambulance driver attempting to transport him was killed.

Medical evidence further corroborated these accounts. Journalists saw the child’s body in the morgue at Al-Shifa Hospital, and Jamal al-Durrah spent three months in a Jordanian hospital receiving treatment for serious injuries. The Israeli commission did not request access to medical records or interview key witnesses, despite claiming to have reviewed all available materials, according to the newspaper.

In his book “Death of a Child,” Charles Enderlin documented that Giora Eiland, the Israeli army’s operations commander at the time, admitted to the BBC that the shooting apparently came from Israeli soldiers. Despite this initial admission, the military establishment later reversed course and embarked on a widespread campaign of denial.

In 2013, Enderlin won a legal battle after being accused of falsifying footage, strengthening the credibility of the journalistic documentation of the moments leading to the killing of Muhammad al-Durrah.

In interviews, Jamal al-Durrah recounted the moments before his son was killed, explaining that they were on their way to buy a used car when they found themselves caught in heavy gunfire. He confirmed that the shooting continued despite their screams and attempts to take cover until his son was fatally struck.

On September 30, 2023, Al-Araby TV broadcast a special report that included documentary footage of the moment al-Durrah was killed, as well as interviews with Jamal al-Durrah and photographer Talal Abu Rahma, who recounted what they witnessed and documented during the attack.

Honest Reporting: A State-Funded Propaganda Influence Network

Misbar’s previous analysis of Honest Reporting, whose narrative has been used for years to cast doubt on the killing of the child Muhammad al-Durrah and which has resurfaced through recent Israeli accounts, shows that although it presents itself as a watchdog against media bias, it is connected to a network of institutions run by Israeli government agencies and organizations active within the Hasbara system.

Documents indicate the organization’s cooperation with Shurat HaDin and StandWithUs, both of which have received direct support from Israeli officials, including members of the Mossad and the National Security Council, as well as its participation in official meetings in which the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the allocation of 150 million dollars to fund global propaganda campaigns.

ProPublica data shows that HonestReporting’s 2024 revenue was 3.4 million dollars, approximately 96 percent of which came from undisclosed donations, reinforcing concerns regarding the organization’s independence and the nature of its backers.

Networks Are Reproducing Narratives That Deny the Killing of Muhammad Al-Durrah

A previous Misbar analysis published in 2022 found that waves of skepticism surrounding the killing of Muhammad al-Durrah resurface whenever strong evidence of civilian targeting emerges. That analysis identified accounts, mostly anonymous and based in Gulf states, that resurrected old narratives denying Israeli military responsibility following the assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. It concluded that these campaigns revive the historical Israeli narrative whenever the al-Durrah incident is recalled for comparison or context, in an attempt to sow doubt and erode documented facts.

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