Posts misrepresent old Israeli air strike video
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on October 12, 2023 at 23:15
- 2 min read
- By AFP USA
Copyright © AFP 2017-2025. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
"LATEST: Israeli air force is bombing targets in Gaza, Palestine #Israel #Palestine #Hamas," says an October 7, 2023 post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from a user who has previously spread misinformation about the conflict.
The footage also circulated on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook after the deadliest assault on Israel since its founding 75 years ago.
Hundreds of Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip rushed across the border October 7, gunning down civilians under a barrage of rockets and taking about 150 hostages, including Americans and other foreigners. In retaliation, Israel cut off water, electricity and food to Gaza -- the densely populated, impoverished territory governed by Hamas and under a blockade for years -- and deployed soldiers around the enclave.
Ample footage shows Israel's air strikes on Gaza, but the clip shared online does not -- it predates the conflict by months.
A reverse image search surfaced a matching video from the Associated Press (AP) published May 18, 2023 on YouTube (archived here).
"Smoke and sand rising from explosion after Israeli airstrike targeted house in northern Gaza Strip," says the caption, which notes the events occurred May 13.
The AP's archives (archived here) indicate the footage was taken in the city of Beit Lahiya.
A ceasefire took effect May 14 after five days of cross-border exchanges killed at least 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. The bout of violence erupted after Israeli strikes on Gaza killed three leading members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a flood of misinformation on social media. More of AFP's reporting is available here.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
