Palestinian media is circulating this video as proof of fabricated stabbings

On Saturday, an Israeli army spokesman said a Jewish settler shot dead a Palestinian teen after he allegedly attempted to stab him near the West Bank city of Hebron. Now a video of the incident’s aftermath is being used to challenge that narrative, but the grainy footage doesn't tell us anything for sure. 

Palestinian activist group Youth Against Settlements posted online footage on Saturday that appears to show an Israeli officer placing what they claim is a knife on the chest of the dead Palestinian teen after the shooting, alleging he was instead unarmed and framed for the stabbing attempt.

In the video, Israeli forces rush toward the body and the gun-wielding settler, apparently moments after the shooting. You see one soldier approach and hand something to a second soldier, who then approaches the body. The clip is grainy and shot from a distance, making it impossible to discern what’s in the soldier’s hand or whether anything is in fact placed on the body. 

Palestinian witnesses have also been detained following the incident, Palestinian agency Palestine News Network reports. The website quotes a Ma'an news report saying Hebron resident Mufeed Sharbati was detained by Israeli forces, his laptop, video camera and camera confiscated. Meanwhile, social media users say Youth Against Settlements Media Coordinator Ahmad Amr was also arrested.

The last few weeks have been marked by brutal violence across Jerusalem and the West Bank—at least 38 Palestinians and seven Israelis have been killed since Oct. 1. Many of the incidents follow a pattern: a Palestinian stabs or attempts to stab an Israeli, and Israeli security forces shoot the Palestinian. As the death toll shows, this pattern often reflects reality. But videos like the one shot by Youth Against Settlements is sparking skepticism online about whether all the incidents are actually unfolding the way Israeli security forces are reporting. 

Watch the video below, via Facebook.