Fact Check: Video of woman with skin ailment shared as victim of Israel’s phosphorous bomb

Hyderabad: A disturbing image and video of a woman whose face appeared to be severely burnt is viral on social media. Those sharing the posts are claiming that the woman is a Palestinian victim of Israel’s white phosphorous attacks.

A Facebook user shared the video in a reel with the caption, “This woman is a victim of Israel white phosphorus bomb terrorist attacks. ISISRAEL is a malevolent entity #FreePalestine #israelisterroriststate #FreeGaza #vrialvideo. (sic)”

Many Facebook users have shared the image and video, making a similar claim. Click here and here to view the posts.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the woman is from Morocco and is suffering from a rare genetic skin ailment.

We noticed a watermark ‘@airisputr8’ on the video. Using this as a clue, we searched for it and found an Instagram account by that name which posted the viral video on February 9. The account did not provide any information about the woman in the caption.

However, we found a user, Ahmed Zainoun, in the comments stating that the woman in the video is Moroccan, not Palestinian. He also said that the video belonged to his page and threatened to take legal action for using it with wrong information.

This directed us to the Instagram page of Ahmed Zainoun where we found several posts of children suffering from skin disease in collaboration with Moonvoice.

The Moonvoice Association is a Moroccan charity organisation founded and chaired by Zainoun, as mentioned in his Instagram bio. The organisation helps children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a genetic disorder that causes hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light, leaving people prone to eye problems, neurological symptoms, and even skin cancer. Those suffering from this affliction are also referred to as ‘moon children’.

Zainoun posted the viral video on February 5. In the caption, he mentioned that the person in the video is suffering from a skin disease. He has also mentioned bringing smiles to the faces of children suffering from skin disease. In another post, published on January 17, Zainoun mentioned that the woman is Shaima, from Fes, a city in Morocco.

NewsMeter has reached out to Zainoun for more details about the woman. The story will be updated as and when he replies. However, we conclude from our findings that the woman is from Morocco, not Palestine and is suffering from skin disease. The claim that the woman is a victim of Israel’s phosphorus bombing is false.