(MENAFN- Gulf Times) As the 13-year-old Palestinian boy lay bleeding on the ground, after being shot for allegedly stabbing two Israelis, a man standing nearby shouted at him to die.
In the ensuing propaganda war, with a video of the incident going viral, Palestinians claim Ahmad Manasra is dead, while Israel is showing photos purportedly of him being treated in hospital.
The video, quickly uploaded by both Israelis and Palestinians, was far from the first to go viral as attacks and unrest have spread over the past couple weeks, but it was perhaps the most controversial.
As stabbings and violent protests raised fears of a full-scale uprising, a parallel conflict is playing out online, with videos of attacks by Palestinians and shootings by Israeli security forces often posted within minutes.
Each side interprets the videos as evidence in support of its cause.
For many Palestinians, the video is proof of the brutality of the Israeli security forces. But for many Israelis, Ahmad is proof of the threat posed by Palestinians, even 13-year-olds.
"You may be an awful human being if you post a pic/vid of that bloody Palestinian teen without noting he'd just tried to murder two Israelis," Jewish Agency spokesman Avi Mayer tweeted.
The video has sparked especially incendiary comments and was mentioned in a speech by president Mahmud Abbas, drawing a sharp response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to police, Ahmad, and his 15-year-cousin, Hassan, stabbed a man at the Pisgat Zeev settlement in east Jerusalem Monday before attacking and critically wounding a 13-year-old Jewish boy on a bicycle.
Police said Hassan died after being hit by a car as he fled, while security forces shot Ahmad when he tried to charge at them with a knife.
That is apparently where the video footage begins - Ahmad lying bleeding on the ground and the man yelling at him to die.
As the video spread and Palestinians alleged he had committed no crime, police posted surveillance footage appearing to show the two holding knives.
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