A photograph authentically depicts bombs being dropped over Rafah in May 2024 as Israel launched a ground invasion.
The photograph shows flares being dropped by Israel over the Gaza Strip and was shot from Sderot, Israel which is located in the north, while Rafah is in the south. Furthermore, the photograph was taken in November 2023. However, Israeli forces did begin an assault in Rafah in May 2024 and bombed parts of the region.
The protracted, often bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict exploded into a hot war on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant Palestinian group Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel and Israel retaliated by bombarding the Gaza Strip. More than 20,000 people, the vast majority of them Palestinians, were reportedly killed during the first two months of the war alone. The violence is driven by mutual hostilities and territorial ambitions dating back more than a century. The internet has become an unofficial front in that war and is rife with misinformation, which Snopes is dedicated to countering with facts and context. You can help. Read the latest fact checks. Submit questionable claims. Become a Snopes Member to support our work. We welcome your participation and feedback.
In early May 2024, as Israel began an assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a number of online accounts shared a photograph purportedly showing the start of the offensive. The photograph claimed to show bombs dropping over the region at night.
A number of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine accounts on X shared the image on May 6, 2024. One post stated, “PRAY FOR RAFAH, ALL EYES ON RAFAH!” and another said, “Rafah. The beginning of the end for Hamas.”
(X user @RJLetsGo)
(X user @NiohBerg)
The image is an authentic photograph that shows Israel dropping flares over Gaza, but it was taken in November 2023 and was shot over the northern part of the Gaza Strip — not Rafah. As such, we rate this claim as “Miscaptioned.”
Agence France-Presse photographer Aris Messinis took the photograph, which is available on Getty Images, in November 2023. The caption stated, “This picture taken from a position near Sderot along the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip on November 5, 2023, shows flares dropped by Israeli forces above the Palestinian enclave amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.”
(Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images)
Sderot is an Israeli town located by the border along the northern part of the Gaza Strip, while Rafah is about 25 miles away in the south, along the border with Egypt.
Although the photograph does not show Rafah in May 2024, Israel did attack the southern Gazan city that month. Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah border crossing on May 7, 2024, as the U.N. warned of a collapse of the flow of aid. The seizure occurred as Israeli warplanes attacked the eastern part of Rafah, bombing residential homes and killing at least a dozen people.
Photographs on Getty Images from May 6, 2024, showed smoke billowing into the sky from Israeli attacks on Rafah. One caption read: “Smoke rises and billows above settlements after Israeli attack on Rafah, Gaza on May 06, 2024. Following the attacks carried out by the Israeli army, it was reported that there were dead and injured people, including women and children as Israel’s air, land and sea attacks on Gaza Strip continue.”
(Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu/Getty Images)
(AFP/Getty Images)
While the photograph being shared on X is from a different time and location, the above photographs show Rafah under attack from Israeli forces in May 2024.
“Israel Seizes Key Gaza Border Crossing as It Launches Assault on Rafah.” Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/israel-seizes-gazas-vital-rafah-border-crossing. Accessed 8 May 2024.
Osgood, Mersiha Gadzo, Brian. “Israel’s War on Gaza Updates: Full Rafah Attack a ‘Humanitarian Nightmare.'” Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/7/israels-war-on-gaza-live-israel-blasts-rafah-fate-of-ceasefire-uncertain. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Smoke Billows after Israeli Bombardment in Rafah, in the Southern…” Getty Images, 6 May 2024, https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/smoke-billows-after-israeli-bombardment-in-rafah-in-the-news-photo/2151170232. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“Smoke Rises and Billows above Settlements after Israeli Attack On…” Getty Images, 6 May 2024, https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/smoke-rises-and-billows-above-settlements-after-israeli-news-photo/2151164337. Accessed 8 May 2024.
“This Picture Taken from a Position near Sderot along the Israeli…” Getty Images, 5 Nov. 2023, https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/this-picture-taken-from-a-position-near-sderot-along-the-news-photo/1765221940. Accessed 8 May 2024.
SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar convened a press conference today to address concerning allegations involving 48-year-old John Lill.
Salazar revealed, “We believe that he at the very least, gave the victim alcohol to the point where she may have become intoxicated.”
Oscar McAnally, an established boudoir photographer in San Antonio with his business, Vanity Boudoir Photography, for 18 years, emphasized the paramount importance of trust between a photographer and their model.
“First of all, the client need to come here feel comfortable with me. And when we talk about her session, you know, how they’re going to go, what they’re looking for on their session, right? But also for me as a photographer, I want to meet them in person, because I want to make sure that we’re a good fit…They need to feel comfortable with me. And again, make sure they understand that they are in charge of their session,” McAnally stressed.
McAnally also provided insights for individuals seeking to hire photographers within the city, advising vigilance in certain areas.
“There are always little things that you need to cover yourself,” he remarked. “When a photographer doesn’t even tag their models in boudoir images, or doesn’t verify their age, it raises red flags…I never photograph anyone under 21, and I encourage clients to bring a chaperone if it makes them feel more comfortable. In fact, my wife often acts as a chaperone for clients.”
Jason Meza of San Antonio’s Better Business Bureau echoed McAnally’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of due diligence.
“People are urged to check reputations before they let somebody enter their home,” Meza advised, underlining the need for caution when engaging with photography services.
In light of recent events, these insights serve as a reminder of the importance of safety and awareness when hiring photographers, particularly within the intimate context of boudoir photography sessions.
“Coltivazione del Sé” (2021), Cassino, Italy. All images © ONIRO, shared with permission
Greenery abounds in the large-scale murals of Italian artist ONIRO, who often focuses on themes of interconnectedness and balance, especially between humans and the natural world. In “Coltivazione del Sé,” or “self-cultivation,” a human form emerges from the leaves and shadows of a burgeoning plant, while an opening of sky between branches reveals a facial silhouette in an untitled mural on an olive oil processing workshop.
In 2022, ONIRO completed an ambitious series that links three neighboring communities along the Via Aurelia, an ancient Roman artery in Italy constructed around 241 B.C.E. that remains a busy commercial thoroughfare today. “Each mural is a necessary part for the others, like organs that form an organism, and which as a whole has a greater value than the sum of the individual parts,” the artist says.
The three pieces in Organismo, or “body,” are composed in a loose, painterly style to depict Gaia—the ancient Greek goddess who personified the earth—an island shaped like the human heart, and a peninsula shaped like lungs with flowing, bronchial inlets. Explore more on Behance and Instagram.
Untitled, La Marina oil mill, San Donato Val Comino, Italy (2021)
“Organismo – Cuore” (2022), Comune di Castagneto Carducci, Italy
“Coltivazione del Sé”
Detail of “Coltivazione del Sé”
“Organismo – Polmoni” (2022), Comune di San Vincenzo, Italy
Aerial view of “Organismo – Polmoni.” Photo by Francesco Luongo
“Organismo – Gaia” (2022), Comune di Venturina Terme, Italy
“Casa del Fiume”
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Verdant Landscapes and Burgeoning Plants Crawl Across Walls in ONIRO’s Vibrant Anatomical Murals appeared first on Colossal.
Tis Art Gallery
PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The ‘Tis Art Center & Gallery is proud to present “Journeys in Spirit 2024: Traditional and Contemporary Native Art” in partnership with the Museum of Indigenous People. Journeys in Spirit, which will open on Thursday, May 16 and run through Tuesday, June 25, is a captivating exhibition of Native American art that celebrates the rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions of indigenous communities. Featuring a diverse collection of artworks, including paintings, basketry, jewelry, photography, beadworks, ceramics and other traditional and contemporary mediums, the exhibition is free and open to the public.
Journeys in Spirit showcases the extraordinary talent of Native American artists. These artists come from varied backgrounds and cultures, with some still living within their tribal communities. The exhibition highlights the beauty and diversity of Native American art, while also providing a platform for artists to share their stories and perspectives. Many traditions continue to be passed down through the generations; from an early age, children are taught that color and imagery carry symbolic meaning and through the arts, their stories can be told. To meet some of the Journeys in Spirit artists and gain deeper insight into their cultures, the public is encouraged to attend a reception during Prescott’s 4th Friday Art Walk on Friday, May 24 from 5-7 p.m.
‘Tis Art Center & Gallery would like to extend a special thanks to the City of Prescott and the Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council for their continued support of this event. For more information, please visit https://www.tisartgallery.com/category/gallery-events/.
‘Tis Art Center & Gallery | 105 S. Cortez St. Prescott, AZ 86305 | (928) 775-0223
