Dated Gaza footage falsely shared as Iran attack on Israel

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1 as the conflict escalated between Israel and Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah. However, footage shared online of a residential area strewn with debris and craters does not show the attack. The clip in fact shows the aftermath of Israeli strikes on Rafah in southern Gaza several months earlier.

"Iran has successfully destroyed 30 Israeli F-35 fighter jets. These jets were used to massacre 40,000 children," read a Hindi-language X post shared on October 2.

The post, which was viewed more than 720,000 times, shows a video of huge craters in the ground in an area littered with torn tents and debris.

The video spread in similar posts on Facebook and X after Iran fired about 200 missiles at Israel in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Most were intercepted by Israel and its allies.

Israel's arch-enemy Iran supports Hamas in Gaza and hailed the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The unprecedented attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which include hostages killed in captivity.

Of the 251 people abducted that day, 97 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 42,000 people in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations has described as reliable.

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Screenshot of the false post

The video circulated online as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated despite a chorus of international calls for both sides to step back from the brink of all-out war (archived link).

Some social media users appeared to believe the video showed the aftermath of Iran's missile attack on Israel.

"This is a major strategic success for Iran," one commented.  

"If Iran attacks fully, Israel will not be able to survive," another wrote. 

However, the clip was filmed shortly after Israel attacked Rafah in southern Gaza in February 2024.

Rafah bombing

The video shared in false posts contains the watermark "hani.alshaer". 

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Screenshot of the video with watermark highlighted by AFP

A keyword search on Google found the video shared by Gaza-based journalist Hani Al Shaer on Instagram on February 12, 2024 (archived link). 

The Arabic caption translates as: "Watch | From the place where "Israel" claimed its forces infiltrated tonight in Al-Shaboura camp in Rafah." 

Below is a screenshot comparison of the false post video (left) and the video shared on Instagram by Al Shaer (right):

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AFP photographer Said Khatib took a photo of the same scene.

The photo is available in AFP's archives with the caption: "People stand around craters caused by Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas."

Below is a comparison of a screengrab from the false post clip (left) and the AFP photo (right):

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Comparison of a screengrab from the false post clip (left) and the AFP photo (right)

Israeli air strikes pummelled densely crowded Rafah on February 10 after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his troops to "prepare to operate" in the southern border city where an estimated 1.3 million people had fled.

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