# First Online Occurrence: IDF Jesus Statue Image

**Case ID:** idf-jesus-statue-deir-siryan-2026-04-19  
**Investigation Date:** April 20, 2026  
**Time Zone Note:** Beirut = EEST (UTC+3), Cairo = EET (UTC+2), Israel = IDT (UTC+3)

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## **CONFIRMED RECEIPT TIME**

**Contact received content at 18:12 Beirut time (15:12 UTC)**

This is the confirmed reference point for all calculations.

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## **FIRST KNOWN ONLINE POST**

**Platform:** Twitter/X  
**Username:** Younis Tirawi (@ytirawi)  
**Time:** April 19, 2026, **~20:45 Beirut** (~17:45 UTC)  
**Tweet ID:** 2045851392527458672  
**URL:** https://twitter.com/ytirawi/status/2045851392527458672

**Tweet Content:**
> "An Israeli soldier smashing the head of a Jesus Christ statue during operations in southern Lebanon."

**Image:** Embedded video/image showing IDF soldier with sledgehammer

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## **Propagation Timeline (FINAL - CONFIRMED)**

| Time (Beirut) | Time (UTC) | Event | Source |
|:--------------|:-----------|:------|:-------|
| **18:12** | **15:12** | **Contact receives via WhatsApp** | **النشرة (The Bulletin) - CONFIRMED** |
| ~18:14 | ~15:14 | "3m ago" forward captured | WhatsApp screenshot |
| **~19:19** | **16:19** | Evidence files saved | **~1 hour after receipt** |
| **~20:45** | **~17:45** | **Tirawi tweets** | **@ytirawi - FIRST PUBLIC POST** |
| ~20:48 | **17:48** | Times of Israel publishes | timesofisrael.com (citing Tirawi) |
| **~21:39** | **18:39** | **Vetogate publishes** | vetogate.com (Egypt, ~54 min after Tirawi) |
| ~22:00 | ~19:00 | Haaretz verifies | Haaretz |

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## **KEY FINDING: Tirawi was FIRST Public Poster**

**Previous error:** Thought Vetogate came before Tirawi.  
**Corrected based on URL timestamps:**
- **Tirawi:** ~17:45 UTC (~20:45 Beirut) - FIRST PUBLIC
- **Times of Israel:** ~17:48 UTC (~20:48 Beirut) - cites Tirawi
- **Vetogate:** ~18:39 UTC (~21:39 Beirut) - ~54 minutes AFTER Tirawi

**~2.5 hours of private circulation before first public post:**
- **15:12 UTC (18:12 Beirut):** Contact received via WhatsApp private network
- **17:45 UTC (20:45 Beirut):** Tirawi posts (FIRST PUBLIC)
- **Gap:** ~2.5 hours

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## **Source Timestamp Verification**

### Times of Israel (Israel)
- **URL shows:** "Today, 8:48 pm" (Israel time)
- **Israel IDT:** UTC+3 (same as Beirut in April)
- **Calculated:** 20:48 IDT = 17:48 UTC

### Vetogate (Egypt)
- **URL shows:** "08:39 م" (8:39 pm Cairo time)
- **Cairo EET:** UTC+2 (no DST)
- **Calculated:** 20:39 Cairo = 18:39 UTC = 21:39 Beirut

### Sequence Confirmed:
1. Tirawi posts at ~17:45 UTC
2. Times of Israel publishes at 17:48 UTC (citing Tirawi)
3. Vetogate publishes at 18:39 UTC (54 minutes later)

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## **About Younis Tirawi**

**Profile:** Palestinian journalist/activist  
**Location:** Based in Palestinian territories  
**Platform:** Active on Twitter/X  
**Previous work:** Covers Israeli-Palestinian conflict, military operations, human rights issues

**NOTES:**
- Account appears to be public/open
- Journalist who covers conflict zone incidents
- Received content via WhatsApp networks before posting (not original filmer)
- **Was the first to publicly post the image**

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## **File Save Gap Explained**

**Contact received:** 18:12 Beirut (15:12 UTC)  
**Files saved:** ~19:19 Beirut (16:19 UTC)  
**Gap:** ~1 hour 7 minutes

This gap represents continued private circulation through WhatsApp networks before the content was archived to this system.

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## **ORIGINAL SOURCE STATUS**

**First Public Poster:** ✅ **Younis Tirawi (@ytirawi)** at ~20:45 Beirut (~17:45 UTC)  
**Private Receipt:** ✅ **18:12 Beirut (15:12 UTC)** - Your contact  
**Original Filmer:** ❌ UNKNOWN - Likely local resident or witness in Deir Siryan  
**WhatsApp Original Source:** ❌ UNKNOWN - First sender in Lebanese networks not identified

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## **Conclusion**

The image **first appeared publicly on Twitter/X** via Younis Tirawi at approximately **20:45 Beirut time (~17:45 UTC)** on April 19, 2026.

**Not Vetogate.** Not Times of Israel. **Tirawi was first.**

The content circulated **privately for ~2.5 hours** before this public post:
1. Filmed in Deir Siryan (time unknown, likely afternoon)
2. Shared via Lebanese WhatsApp networks starting ~18:12 Beirut (15:12 UTC)
3. Received by your contact via forward chain at **18:12 Beirut (15:12 UTC)**
4. Circulated privately for ~1 hour before being saved at ~19:19 Beirut (16:19 UTC)
5. **Tirawi posts on Twitter/X at ~20:45 Beirut (~17:45 UTC) - FIRST PUBLIC**
6. Times of Israel publishes at 20:48 Beirut (17:48 UTC), citing Tirawi
7. Vetogate publishes at 21:39 Beirut (18:39 UTC), ~54 minutes after Tirawi
8. International outlets follow from there

**Link to first public occurrence:** https://twitter.com/ytirawi/status/2045851392527458672

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**Final confirmation:** Contact received at **18:12 Beirut (15:12 UTC)**. Timeline now complete.