Diane Abbott is caught out posting a FAKE image of an Israeli fighter jet bombing Iran in a tweet slamming Britain's airstrikes on Syria

Labour shadow home secretary posted photo-shopped image of Israeli plane 

Twitter users pointed out the image was a mock up of bombing raid on Tehran 

When the mistake pointed out to her Ms Abbott branded detractors 'pathetic'

Row comes as Theresa May prepares to be questioned on airstrike in Commons

Diane Abbott has been caught out posting a fake image of an Israeli fighter plane bombing Iran in a tweet slamming Britain's airstrikes on Syria.

Labour's shadow home secretary posted the photo-shopped image alongside a message tearing into Theresa May for not having a parliamentary vote before the strike.

But when Twitter users pointed out she was using a mocked-up image dating back to March 2012 she branded their criticism 'pathetic'.

The image was mocked up by Al Clark for The Aviationist and shows how an attack by a formation of F-15Is on a nuclear facility located in downtown Tehran might look like. 

Tory MP Michael Fabricant told MailOnline: ' If it were up to Diane Abbott we would not intervene in nay overseas military operation, no matter how threatening to the UK.

'Diane Abbott does her pacifism no good at all by deceitfully broadcasting pictures which are photo-shopped and have no relation to the truth.' 

The row over Ms Abbott's tweet came as Theresa May prepared to deliver a passionate defence of the Syria strikes today as she faces off with MPs. 

Diane Abbott (pictured in Parliament today) has been caught out posting a fake image of an Israeli fighter plane bombing Iran in a tweet slamming Britain's airstrikes on Syria

Diane Abbott (pictured afortnight ago) has been caught out posting a fake image of an Israeli fighter plane bombing Iran in a tweet slamming Britain's airstrikes on Syria

Labour's shadow home secretary posted the photo-shopped image alongside a message tearing into Theresa May for not having a vote before the strike

But when Twitter users pointed out that she was using a mocked-up image dating back to March 2012 she branded their criticism 'pathetic'

Ms Abbott posted the image with the message attacking International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt for her interview on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme. 

She wrote: 'Shocking to hear Tory minister on BBC Radio 4 Today claim that you can't allow Parliament to vote on war because that would be to "outsource the decision to people who don't have all the info".

'Do these people understand what parliamentary democracy is?'

The image has been retweeted nearly 1,000 times and liked 1,900 times on Twitter.

It is unclear why Ms Abbott chose to post the image, which clearly shows an Israeli plane and depicts a day-time raid - whereas the airstrike launched by Britain, the US and France took place in the dead of night.

And the photo shows a raid on a built-up area of a city - whereas Friday night's strike targeted chemical weapons sites some distance from civilian homes. 

People on Twitter quickly pointed out the image she had used was not a genuine photograph, but a fake image often used by the Syrian state media channel SANA TVC.

ABC reporter Julia Macfarlane wrote: 'Diane Abbott The Shadow Home Secretary here, using a photoshopped image, of what looks like an Israeli F15 jet, that has been repeatedly used on SANA TVC articles since early 2017.'

But Ms Abbott has refused to delete the pictured or apologise for her mistake - and instead had a go at people for criticising her.

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A reporter was among those who pointed out the image is photo-shopped and not a picture from the strike by Western forces against Syria at the weekend

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Tory MP James Cleverly said the Labour MP undermine d her own argument by using a photo-shopped image

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One Twitter user said the tweet was another example of Diane Abbott's blundering

Colin Jacobs joined in the criticism - pointing out that Diane Abbott's famous car crash election interview when she could not say how much Labour's policing policies cost should have been a reminder of the need to get her facts straight

She wrote: 'Apparently, my use of this pic is "important news". Yes, UK goes to war without UN approval or even parliamentary debate. 

'But the most important news is what pics I use in a tweet. Pathetic.'

Tory MP for Braintree James Cleverly said: Diane massively undermines he own argument by showing a willingness to use a deeply dishonest image. 

'Can any of us believe she, or Corbyn etc, would make a balanced judgement based on the facts rather than on their anti-West prejudice and a desire for party political advantage?'

Colin Jacobs, managing director of Immediate Future social media consultancy, said: 'I feel Diane Abbott has received sufficient (warranted) criticism when she has not been accurate with information (particularly budgets) to know this is an insanely stupid decision she's made. Why?!'

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French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured left)  greets Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in Paris today. The meeting comes after Mr Macron joined Britain and France in airstrikes against Syrian chemical weapons sites

Justin Trudeau (pictured with Emmanuel Macron today) put out a statement backing the airstrikes against Bashar Assad's chemical weapons bases 

Stephen Phillips wrote on Twitter 'Clearly, Ms Abbott is incapable of discerning fact from fiction.

'Hopefully she has by now removed this scurrilous piece of #FakeNews and apologised to the Israeli government - and everyone else offended by it.

'Just as well she's more accurate with her sums.' 

The row comes ahead of a hotly-anticipated parliamentary clash later today about Mrs May's decision to order airstrikes without a parliamentary vote. 

The PM will deliver a passionate defence of the Syria strikes today as she faces off with MPs.

She will insist action to degrade Bashar Assad's chemical weapons capability was in the 'national interest' and justified on humanitarian grounds.

Pointing to the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last month, she will says it is vital that the use of such banned substances does not become 'normalised' around the world.

But Mrs May is expected to face a rough ride in the Commons, with Jeremy Corbyn branding the strikes illegal and saying military action should never be taken without UN - and Russian - approval.    The row over Ms Abbott's tweet came as May prepared to deliver a passionate defence of the Syria strikes today as she faces off with MPs.

The Prime Minister will insist action to degrade Bashar Assad's chemical weapons capability was in the 'national interest' and justified on humanitarian grounds.

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Theresa May, pictured at a Commonwealth summit in London today, will be making a statement to MPs later on the Syria strikes

Pointing to the nerve agent attack in Salisbury last month, she will says it is vital that the use of such banned substances does not become 'normalised' around the world.

But Mrs May is expected to face a rough ride in the Commons, with Jeremy Corbyn branding the strikes illegal and saying military action should never be taken without UN - and Russian - approval.

The premier is also set to defy calls for MPs to be given a substantive vote on whether it had been right to deploy UK forces.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said this morning that it would have been 'crazy' to 'outsource' the decision to MPs who could not be given the full intelligence picture.

She suggested that a vote should only be called if there were plans for a sustained military campaign, rather than limited airstrikes.

In a statement to parliament, the PM will say chemical weapons use cannot become normalised 'either within Syria, on the streets of the UK or elsewhere'.

In a highly unusual step, Mrs May will ask Speaker John Bercow to call an emergency six-hour debate on the action, giving MPs from both sides of the House the chance to have a say.

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Mrs May has faced considerable criticism for not recalling Parliament to gain approval for joining the US-led action against Bashar al-Assad's despotic regime

But the mechanism does not allow for a substantive vote. Instead the only division that could be forced by Opposition parties would confirm that the House has 'considered' the issues.

Mrs May has faced considerable criticism for not recalling Parliament to gain approval before joining the US-led action against Bashar al-Assad's despotic regime.

Tony Blair established a convention in the run-up to the Iraq War that a Commons vote is held on significant military action.

Does May need to call a Commons vote on striking Syria?

Theresa May was constitutionally entitled to order British forces into action in Syria without a Commons vote.

The Prime Minister has the power to deploy troops under the Royal Prerogative.

There are no hard and fast rules obliging the government to involve rank-and-file MPs in the decision.

But a vote on prolonged deployment of UK forces would be almost impossible to avoid. 

Commons divisions have been held on almost all military action by British forces since the Iraq War in 2003, establishing what many see as a firm convention.

However, the PM retains the ability to deploy UK forces when needed. Mrs May has said it was not practical to seek parliamentary approval for the limited strikes on Syria early on Saturday morning.

Critics say she was nervous about the possibility of losing a vote - although after the action passed apparently without escalation many believe she would win one.

Tory MPs have been told they must be in the Commons today and tomorrow in case there is a vote on her handling of the Syria crisis.

Downing Street officials said they believed a vote was unlikely – but did not rule out the possibility of other parties forcing one later in the week.

Ms Mordaunt told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'To take a decision on whether something is legally justified, and whether what we are actually intending on doing in terms of targets is appropriate, you would need to know information that could not be shared with every MP.

'And so, outsourcing that decision to people who do not have the full picture is, I think, quite wrong. And, the convention that was established, I think is very wrong.

'I support governments being able to take those decisions, Parliament should hold government to account for that decision.'

She added: 'You can't, for example, share targets with members of parliament. It would be a crazy thing to do.'

Mrs May will tell MPs: 'Let me be absolutely clear. We have acted because it is in our national interest to do so.

'It is in our national interest to prevent the further use of chemical weapons in Syria – and to uphold and defend the global consensus that these weapons should not be used.

'For we cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – either within Syria, on the streets of the UK or elsewhere.'

Mr Corbyn yesterday again questioned the legality of the UK's role in the 105-missile strike – and called for legislation to stop military action without MPs' support.

He also caused fury among his own MPs by stating that he would never take military action in Syria without a UN security council resolution.

The blanket vow effectively gives Vladimir Putin the ability to block UK foreign policy, as Russia has a veto in the security council and has repeatedly deployed it.

Shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti also dismissed the legal basis as 'contentious', telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'You can't use force under international law just to punish Syria for bad behaviour.

'You have to actually be using urgent, necessary and proportionate force. And you have to do it with the will of the world behind you.'

She added: 'I think that Parliament should have been recalled before the strike. Some people will suspect that that didn't happen because of governmental concerns that they couldn't get the vote in Parliament. And that to me is not a good enough reason.'

Boris Johnson, arriving for a summit of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said: 'The action that was taken by France, by the UK, by the United States in launching calibrated and proportionate strikes against Assad's chemical weapons capabilities, was entirely right, entirely the right thing to do - right for the UK and right for the world.

'I'm very grateful for the strong international support that there has been for what the P3 - UK, France and America - have done.'

Five hundred people poisoned in Syrian gas attack, WHO reveals

Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas outrage that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed.

WHO demanded 'immediate' access to the victims in rebel-held Douma as it revealed the total number of people who reported to hospital showing 'signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

The atrocity, blamed on Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad's forces, has sparked a global outcry with the US and its allies considering taking military action in response. 

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Volunteers give aid to children at a hospital following the chemical attack in Douma

While the WHO statement did not confirm outright that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, it said more than 70 people sheltering in basements have died with 43 of those deaths related to symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals.

'We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma' where Saturday's attack took place, said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response.

'WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,' he added.

Citing information previously released by local health organizations, WHO said that 'an estimated 500 patients presented to health facilities exhibiting signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals'.

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Up to 500 people were poisoned in the Syrian gas attack that killed 43 people including children, the World Health Organisation has revealed

'There were signs of severe irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory failure and disruption to central nervous systems of those exposed,' the statement added.

The United States, Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and UN-backed war crimes investigators.

WHO has delivered medicine capable of treating certain types of chemical agents to clinics through a series of humanitarian convoys deployed across the country in recent years.

UN officials have also accused Assad's troops of at times removing those treatments from humanitarian vehicles.