Israeli teenagers have recently sparked outrage by joining a viral TikTok ‘prank call’ trend, which mocks the suffering of Palestinian children in Gaza Strip.
Videos circulating on social media featured teenagers impersonating representatives of a made-up humanitarian organisation, reaching out to family and friends to solicit donations for children in Gaza. However, their loved ones responded with disturbing and dehumanising comments.
In one widely shared video, a young Israeli girl asks her father to donate to children in Gaza, laughing as she explains they are innocent and not linked to Hamas. Rather than showing empathy, the father reacts with fury, hurling expletives at Gazan children and questioning his daughter’s identity, asking, “Are you Jewish or Arab?”
Another video shows a girl asking her father for donations, only to be met with his violent outburst, where he labels Gazan children as “animals.”
Watch the videos here
The videos have drawn widespread criticism for their insensitivity and lack of empathy for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The trend emerges amidst the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, caused by Israel’s military actions, where children are among the most affected victims. The Israeli onslaught began on October 7, 2023, following attacks on southern Israel led by the Palestinian group Hamas.
More than 1,100 people were killed in the attacks, and about 240 were taken captive. Many of the captives were either freed in a prisoner exchange in November 2023 or killed during subsequent Israeli attacks.
Since that time, more than 48,440 people in Gaza have been killed, including roughly 18,000 children. Thousands have been injured, around 17,000 have been separated from their parents or left unaccompanied, and nearly one million have been forced to flee their homes.
On January 19, 2024, a ceasefire agreement began in the Gaza Strip, and a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel commenced. The agreement includes three stages, each lasting 42 days.
Even with the ceasefire in place, Gaza’s local authorities have reported almost daily breaches by the Israeli army.
