Warning, Sensitive Content: The Harrowing Image Of A Young Boy Caught In The Crosshairs

‘Harrowing’ is the only word we can use to describe the above picture. The picture was taken by an Israeli soldier and allegedly shows the back of a Palestinian boy’s head seen through the crosshairs of a rifle.

The Irish Independent reports that the image has sparked outrage worldwide and pressure has been put on Israel’s army to conduct an investigation. The army has said that it will look into the matter and investigate the conduct of the soldier who took the picture.

We should probably mention that the image went viral after the soldier in question uploaded it to the photo-sharing website Instagram.

According to Israeli media, the soldier has been identified as a 20-year-old conscript who is currenty serving in the occupied West Bank. However, it has not been possible to verify independently whether the picture was taken in the West Bank or whether the young boy in the image was Palestinian.

Palestinian officials have already condemned the publication of the image, saying that it showed the Israeli forces believed that they could act with impunity.

“Every Palestinian mother is concerned for her child... because of the picture that is now known and seen worldwide,” said Nour Odeh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian government.

The Israeli military said that the soldier’s commanders had been notified and that the issue would be dealt with immediately.

“The picture in question does not coincide with IDF’s (Israeli Defence Forces) values or code of ethics,” said the military in a statement.