Mirror.co.uk
The picture was posted by a Danish journalist on Wednesday as the bombing campaign began and has sparked a fierce backlash online
This is the incendiary picture of Israelis eating popcorn and cheering as they watch the bombardment of Gaza which has sparked outrage on Twitter.
The photograph was tweeted Danish journalist Allan Sørensen, the Middle East Correspondent for a Danish newspaper.
Along with the picture he wrote: “Sderot cinema: Israelis bringing chairs 2 hilltop in sderot 2 watch latest from Gaza. Clapping when blasts are heard.”
Sderot cinema. Israelis bringing chairs 2 hilltop in sderot 2 watch latest from Gaza. Clapping when blasts are heard. pic.twitter.com/WYZquV62O7
— Allan Sørensen (@allansorensen72) July 9, 2014
The image, which has been retweeted more than 8,000 times, has led to heated debate on Twitter.
The photo was taken on Wednesday in Sderot, around a mile away from the Gaza strip, a town which often finds itself under fire from rockets from Gaza.
The day before, Israeli security forces began strikes in Gaza to retaliate against rockets from Hamas.
One user wrote: “Morality of a people so skewed that murder is a public spectacle. An astonishing thing to see in this day/age.”
Another said: “That is just inhumane, abominable and disgusting. Shame on you, Israel.”
Meanwhile one Twitter user described it as “the most gruesome image I’ve seen the last few days.”
Yesterday, Danish daily the Kristeligt Dagblad published a follow-up article online in English describing the scene on the hill.
It said: “The hill has been transformed into something that most closely resembles the front row of a reality war theatre.
“People have dragged camping chairs and sofas to the top of the hill. Several sit with crackling bags of popcorn, while others smoke hookahs and talk cheerfully.”
Eli Chone, a 22-year-old American living in Israel told the paper: “We are here to see Israel destroy Hamas.”
Officials in Gaza say that almost 100 Palestinians have been killed in air strikes over the last four days.
Israeli authorities say the raids are in retaliation to rocket attacks by Hamas fighters.
The attacks come after the abduction and murder of three Jewish teenagers last month and the suspected revenge killing of a Palestinian youngster saw violent clashes breakout between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.