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Israeli soldiers posted a photo of a blindfolded Palestinian man.

@ajplus

2.1M followers · usually 39.3K views a post

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1.9M

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104.4K

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2.2K

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Why it worked

The post leverages a deeply emotional and personal story, combined with shocking imagery, to highlight a broader political issue. The narrative structure, starting with a personal tragedy and expanding to a systemic problem, is compelling and shareable.

Summary

This post details the story of Mahmoud Al-Drimli, a Palestinian man who disappeared during Israeli attacks and was later identified by his family in a photo posted by Israeli soldiers. It highlights the family's prolonged search and lack of information, and contextualizes this event within a broader pattern of alleged mistreatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces.

Structure

1Introduction of Mahmoud's disappearance and family's search
2Discovery of Mahmoud in an Israeli soldiers' photo
3Family's reaction and continued lack of information
4Broader context of similar incidents and detentions

Product placement

AJ+ ACTS - it is the creator of this content, and its logo appears on every slide. Removing it would not change what happens in the video. Drop Site News APPEARS - it is cited as the source of information. Removing it would not change what happens in the video.

On-screen text

Israeli soldiers posted a photo of a blindfolded Palestinian man. His family recognized him, after almost 2 years of searching. Mahmoud Al-Drimli disappeared during Israel's attacks on Gaza in November 2024. He had gotten married just two months before Israel launched its war in 2023. For nearly 2 years, his family received no word on whether he was alive, imprisoned or killed. Source: Drop Site News Then a photo went viral. Two female Israeli soldiers posted a photo of themselves smiling beside a blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinian man on the ground. Despite the blindfold, Mahmoud's family recognized him immediately. They told Drop Site News they still have no information about his location, his health or why he was detained. "The moment I saw the picture, my heart was at peace and I was happy. But at the same time, when I saw him in that state, my heart broke." Aida Al-Drimli, Mahmoud's mother to Drop Site News This is not an isolated case. Israeli soldiers have repeatedly published humiliating photos of Palestinian detainees on social media. Since October 2023, at least 800 Palestinians have reportedly vanished after last being seen alive in Israeli military custody. About 9,400 Palestinians are in Israeli detention, many without charge or trial.