Old explosion clips from Lebanon, China falsely portrayed as scenes from Gaza war
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on January 9, 2024 at 06:44
- Updated on January 9, 2024 at 09:29
- 6 min read
- By AFP Indonesia
Copyright © AFP 2017-2025. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
The video, which shows different shots of massive explosions, was shared on TikTok on October 20, 2023.
"The largest missile from Palestine has been launched and exploded in Israel. Free Palestine. I am ready to help you for the sake of Islam," reads the post's caption.
The one-minute video has been viewed more than 20,000 times.
An unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Hamas, considered a "terrorist" group by the United States and European Union, also took around 250 hostages, 132 of whom remain captive, Israel says. At least 25 are believed to have been killed.
Israel has responded with relentless bombardment and a ground invasion that have killed more than 23,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
The clip has been viewed more than 9,000 times after it was shared on TikTok with a similar claim here, here, here and here.
However, reverse image and keyword searches on Google and Yandex found all five explosion clips in the video predate the Gaza war.
Four of the clips have previously circulated in news reports about a deadly explosion in Lebanon in 2020, and while one is from a fatal blast in China in 2015.
Lebanon blast
The first clip of the video shows a massive explosion seen from a street lined with buildings and parked cars.
The clip matches the six-second mark of this video report, posted on YouTube by American broadcaster NBC News on August 5, 2020 (archived link).
The video's title reads "Massive Explosion in Lebanon Kills Dozens, Injures Thousands," while the caption says: "Officials say a warehouse in Beirut had been filled with dangerous, explosive chemicals for years, and warnings about the dangers, they say, were ignored."
On August 4, 2020, a massive blast at Beirut's port destroyed swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring at least 6,500, AFP reported.
Authorities said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where a vast stockpile of industrial chemical ammonium nitrate had been stored for years.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the first false clip (left) and the genuine clip from NBC News (right):
The second clip shows a blast behind several buildings. It was taken from the 34-second mark of this video report from Canadian media Global News, posted on YouTube on August 8, 2020 (archived link).
It is titled: "Beirut Explosion: Video shows new angle of the massive blast."
According to the report, the footage of the massive explosion in the Lebanese capital "was captured in high definition by a shop owner who was recording when the blast hit."
Below is a screenshot comparison of the second false clip (left) and the genuine video from Global News (right):
The fourth clip, which starts at the 29-second mark of the false video, shows another shot of an explosion behind some buildings.
It is identical with a video published by AFP on August 5, 2020, titled: "UGC: Moment of deadly blast in Beirut".
Below is a screenshot comparison of the fourth false clip (left) and the genuine video from AFP (right):
The fifth -- and the last -- clip shows an explosion recorded from a jet ski.
It is identical with a video published by video-licensing agency ViralHog on its YouTube channel and website (archived links here and here).
It is titled: "Jet Skiers Capture Shockwave from Beirut."
According to the video's description, it was recorded on August 4, 2020.
It also includes a quote from the licensor: "Me and my girlfriend were jetskiing and suddenly, the explosion occurred. I asked her to jump before the shockwave has reached us. Luckily, no one was injured."
Below is a screenshot comparison of the fifth false video (left) and the genuine video from ViralHog (right):
A similar clip, which also captured the Beirut explosion from the water, was published by Global News in August 2020 (archived link).
China port fire
The third clip, which starts at the 10-second mark of the false video, shows a massive fire raging before turning into a big blast.
The clip was published by the BBC in a report about an explosion in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin on August 14, 2015 (archived link).
"Dozens of people died and hundreds were injured when a warehouse owned by a company specialising in handling hazardous goods caught fire and exploded," the BBC report partly reads. "Eyewitness Dan van Duren filmed the moment of the explosions, before he and others fled to avoid the danger."
Below is a screenshot comparison of the false TikTok video (left) and the clip published by BBC (right):
At least 165 people were killed in the Tianjin blast on August 12, 2015, which was caused by a fire at a chemical warehouse, AFP reported.
The Guardian's coverage of the Tianjin blast also used the same footage, crediting it to van Duren as well (archived link).
A video obtained by AFP from Chinese state media outlet CCTV at the time shows a similar scene (archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war here.
Added the word "of" in second sentenceJanuary 9, 2024 Added the word "of" in second sentence
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
