Footage of Philadelphia plane crash misrepresented as 'Israel after Iranian attack'

After Iran responded to strikes on its military and nuclear facilities by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israeli cities, a video was shared in posts falsely claiming it showed the damage inflicted on Tel Aviv. The video in fact shows the aftermath of a medical plane crash in the US city of Philadelphia in February.

"Israel's capital Tel Aviv damaged by Iranian attack," reads the Bengali-language caption of a video shared on Facebook on June 14, 2025. 

The video shows a carpark littered with debris and flickering embers, with larger fires burning in the background. 

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Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on June 16, 2025

The video surfaced after Iran struck Israel with barrages of missiles, a day after a massive onslaught against its nuclear and military facilities killed top generals and nuclear scientists (archived link). AFP images of the city of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv showed blown-out buildings, destroyed vehicles and streets strewn with debris. 

Israel said its attacks on June 13 aimed to prevent its arch-rival from acquiring atomic weapons -- a charge Tehran denies.

The longtime foes have continued trading deadly fire in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East (archived link).

Iran's health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded, while Israel's prime minister's office says at least 24 people have been killed and 592 others injured.

The footage was also shared in similar posts elsewhere on Facebook and YouTube. 

While Israeli cities and towns have been hit by Iranian strikes, the video does not show the damage caused by the attacks.

Philadelphia plane crash

A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to same footage posted in a compilation on YouTube put together by a US-based vlogger (archived link).

Its caption reads, "Update on the Plane That Crashed in Philadelphia! What is Going on?"

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the YouTube video (right)

AFP reported that a twin-engine Learjet 55 had plummeted towards a busy Philadelphia neighbourhood, exploding on impact and showering wreckage over homes and vehicles (archived link). The jet was carrying a Mexican child home from a hospital in Philadelphia.

Local media reported that all six people on board the plane were killed, as well as a man and a woman who were in separate cars on the ground at the time of the crash (archived link).

AFP geolocated the video to Cottman Avenue and the adjacent Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia (archived link). 

Google Street View imagery of the area showed a red-bricked building opposite a coffee shop that matches those seen in the circulating video (archived link).

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and Google Street View imagery (right), with corresponding features highlighted by AFP

AFP previously fact-checked false claims the same video depicted an Indian airstrike on Pakistan.