A British-Israeli woman has spoken of her shock after a Palestinian news outlet accused her tour group of being “illegal settlers” breaking into the West Bank town of Hebron.

Joanne Sugarman was part of an organised tour group in the predominantly Arab town on Tuesday, one of only a few days every year on which Israeli troops allow Jews inside to visit the Cave of the Patriarchs.

The Quds News Network, which has tens of thousands of followers on social media, posted photographs of her tour group on Facebook and Twitter with the message: “Illegal settlers break into parts of Hebron today under protection of the IOF [“Israeli Occupation Forces”] who committed acts of persecution against Palestinian inhabitants.”

Ms Sugarman, who made aliyah four years ago and now lives in the Israeli city of Ra’anana, said the photographs showed tourists.

She told the JC: “As we entered and exited we could see camera crews filming us and taking photos from a distance. They did not approach us or speak to us at all.

“We asked one of the soldiers why they were there and he wondered if they were going to spin it into an anti-Israel story.”

“We did not break in,” she added. “We entered legally. We were visiting a holy cave that was only open to Jews [on Tuesday].”

“It is actually laughable but deeply worrying that they can get away with this fake news and people will see it and believe it.”