BBC uncovers story behind striking Gaza child photo
A photo appeared on Telegram showing a crowd of men standing in their underwear on the orders of Israeli soldiers. Among them was a little girl looking in a completely different direction. BBC journalists decided to find out what happened to her. They managed to uncover the truth.
A photo appeared on one of the Telegram channels showing a crowd of men who had to strip down to their underwear on the command of Israeli soldiers. In the photograph, a little girl can be seen being held, looking in a completely different direction and seemingly uninterested in the armed IDF soldiers. Perhaps she simply preferred to gaze elsewhere.
BBC journalists decided to reach her. With the help of people currently in the Gaza Strip, where an Israeli operation targeting Hamas is ongoing, they were able to establish the child's identity. Her name is Julia Abu Warda.
Girl from the Gaza Strip found
The girl is three years old. When the journalist reached her, she was with her father, mother, and grandfather. The BBC found out why Julia was among the crowd of men.
As reported, the family of the three-year-old was forced to leave their home five times over the last 21 days due to shelling. On the day the photo was taken, they heard a warning broadcast by an Israeli drone to evacuate. "Random shelling could be heard. We moved towards the centre of the Jabalia refugee camp, on the way to a checkpoint," recounts Mohammed, her father.
At one point, the family got separated. The father was left alone with his daughter. Both followed the crowd, which eventually reached an Israeli checkpoint.
There were soldiers on tanks and soldiers on the ground. They approached the people and started firing over their heads. People pushed against each other during the shots, recounts the Palestinian.
The men were ordered to strip down to their underwear. This is a routine procedure when searching for hidden weapons or suicide bombers. It lasted six or seven hours. Although Julia looks calm in the photo, in reality, she cried a lot for her mum. She was also saddened by the death of her 7-year-old cousin Yahya, who died in a raid.
Fortunately, despite the separation, the family managed to reunite. Unfortunately, there are many more such stories in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli operation continues. According to UNICEF, military actions have resulted in the deaths of up to 14,000 children. Julia and her family remain in danger.
