A photograph that went viral on Facebook this week, showing what was claimed to be an Israel Defense Forces soldier pointing a weapon at a young Palestinian girl, prompted anger and cries for clarification across the social network.

The photo, uploaded by a Facebook user named Wesley Muahammad, shows a uniform-clad soldier, his face out of frame, pressing a boot to the stomach of a helpless girl lying on the floor while pointing an AK-47 rifle at her face.

Soon after the picture began circling the social network, Facebook users began refuting its authenticity. Many posted the photograph again, explaining that the caption claiming the soldier was Israeli had to be false because his uniform was not that of the IDF's, nor does the Israeli army regularly use AK-47s.

"Don't believe everything you see on the Internet," wrote blogger Omar Dakhane, who uploaded a wider framed version of the image, showing a crowd surrounding the soldier and the girl. "This picture was taken in Bahrain 2009 during a street theater."

Other refuters said the photograph was taken during a riot in Syria.

The wider framed shot also shows that the soldier has a home-made Israeli flag patch pinned to his jacket, and the crowd of bystanders watching the scene without any moving toward the soldier or the girl.

The photograph was taken down on Wednesday, although by the time any action was taken, it had already become an internet sensation.Read this article in Hebrew

Open gallery view The photo uploaded by Wesley Muhammad Credit: Facebook

Open gallery view A photo explaining irregularities in the image Credit: Facebook