A photo showing a Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal, seated around a table at an event has gone viral on social media.
The claim: The photo is being shared to claim that it shows Hamas leaders enjoying a feast during the holy month of Ramadan, while people are starving to death in Gaza.
An archive of this post can be seen here.
(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)
How did we find the truth?: We carried out a reverse image search using Google, which led us to the website of an Arabic news aggregator.
It shared a report by Safa agency, a Palestinian news agency, which carried the same photo.
The translated version of the page showed that the report was published on 29 October 2021, and showed a Hamas delegation participating "in the celebration of the Turkish Embassy in Qatar on the National Day of the Republic."
The photo dates back to October 2021.
(Source: nabd.com/Altered by The Quint)
Taking a cue from this, we used relevant keywords in Arabic to look for more information.
Another report by Safa agency mentioned the a Hamas delegation, headed by politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh, offered "sincere congratulations to the Turkish president, government, and people," on the occasion of the country's Republic Day.
Palestinian news website Palestinian Information Center also shared a photo story about this event on 29 October 2021, which included the photo from the viral claim.
It is important to note that Ramadan was observed over the months of April and May in 2021, which confirms that this photo was not taken during Ramadan.
Conclusion: An old photo of Hamas leaders at the Turkish Embassy in Qatar is being shared as a recent photo.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 ,, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)