New Delhi: In the midst of the escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine, a wave of misinformation has flooded social media platforms, intensifying the confusion and fear already prevalent in the region. Alt News, a trusted fact-checking organization, has diligently examined five viral videos that have been circulating online, each purportedly depicting various aspects of the ongoing conflict. The comprehensive fact-check has provided clarity and dispelled the misleading narratives surrounding these videos.

Claim 1: Evacuation of Airports Near Gaza

One of the viral videos in question was shared by Ashlea Simon, chairperson of the Right-Wing British political party Britain First.

The video showed fighter jets being transported on trucks, accompanied by a claim that the Israeli Defense Forces were evacuating airports near Gaza due to an influx of terrorists. Alt News undertook a thorough reverse image search and found the same footage in a tweet dated September 15, well before the current conflict began on October 7. This evidence established that the video was unrelated to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Claim II: Paratroopers Landing in Israeli Territory

Another video shared by far-Right YouTuber Jackson Hinkle depicted paratroopers descending on a stately building, with the assertion that these were Palestinian fighters landing in Israeli territory.

Alt News investigation led to identify the building as the Egyptian Military Academy. By comparing the video frames with official imagery from the academy's website, Alt News confirmed the video's origin in Egypt, not Israel. 

Claim III: Alleged Kidnapped Jew from Gaza

A video featuring a man and a young girl, claimed to be a kidnapped Jew from Gaza, surfaced on social media, stirring outrage and fear.

The video bore a TikTok watermark belonging to user @izzeddin_masama. Despite the account's deletion, further analysis revealed that the video had been uploaded on September 9, a month before the conflict began on October 7. This information discredited the claim and proved that the video was unrelated to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Claim IV: Fireworks in Gaza After Israeli Air Strikes

Yet another video depicting fireworks illuminating the night sky over a city was misleadingly shared as a celebration in Gaza after Israeli air strikes on Hamas locations. The video bore a TikTok username (@ramiguerfi41) and was connected to the conflict. However, a investigation uncovered that the video was uploaded on September 28, days before the Hamas attack on Israel. The video was not connected to the ongoing conflict, thus refuting the claim made by those sharing it.

Alt News traced the video back to a tweet by former Palestinian authority spokesperson and political analyst Nour Odeh, dated May 13. This finding irrefutably proved that the video was old and not from the ongoing conflict, thus debunking the claim made by Ahmed and others.

 

Claim V: Building Destruction in Gaza

Journalist Sulaiman Ahmed, associated with The Round Table Show, shared a video showcasing a building being destroyed in an airstrike, linking it to the current conflict and reporting casualties.

Alt News traced the video back to a tweet by former Palestinian authority spokesperson and political analyst Nour Odeh, dated May 13. This finding irrefutably proved that the video was old and not from the ongoing conflict, thus debunking the claim made by Ahmed and others.

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New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI): Anyone found using a forged passport or visa for entering, staying or exiting India will be punished with a jail term of up to seven years and a fine to the extent of Rs 10 lakh if the new immigration bill is approved by Parliament.

The legislation, piloted by the Union Home Ministry, also provides for mandatory reporting of information about foreigners by hotels, universities, other educational institutions, hospitals and nursing homes to enable tracking of overstaying foreigners.

All international airlines and ships will also be required to submit at a port or place in India the passenger and crew manifest, the advance information of passengers and crew on board of such aircraft, vessel or other mode of transport.

"Whoever knowingly uses or supplies a forged or fraudulently obtained passport or other travel document or visa for entering into India or staying in or exiting from India, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years, but may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees, but may extend to ten lakh rupees," according to the bill introduced in Lok Sabha on March 11.

It also says that any foreigner who enters into any area in India without a valid passport or other travel document, including visa required for such entry in contravention of provisions of the law or of any rule or order given in pursuance thereof, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years with a fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both.

The legislation empowers the Centre to exert control over places that are "frequented by any foreigner" and require the owner to close the premises, permit its use under specified conditions, or refuse admission to all or a "specified class" of foreigners.

The Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 is a comprehensive legislation to regulate all matters relating to foreigners and immigration.

Matters relating to foreigners and immigration are presently administered through four Acts-the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act, 2000. All these laws are now proposed to be repealed.

While the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025 consists of several existing provisions in the four Acts proposed to be repealed after simplification and harmonisation, it also has certain new provisions to meet the present-day requirements.

This legislation is in line with the government's policy of simplification of laws, ease of doing business and minimising compliance burden.

It seeks to balance the requirements of national security and related issues of immigration of foreigners with the need to promote economic growth and tourism in the country.

However, it is not connected with any matters related with grant of citizenship.

"The Bill will help in tackling the problem of illegal migration into India and facilitate tracking of movement of overstaying foreigners within India.It will also help in reducing the compliance burden," an officer said.

While Indian visas of all categories to foreigners can be granted in physical or sticker form by Indian missions or posts located abroad, the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) grants electronic visas under seven categories to people from 167 countries.

Besides, visa-on-arrival is granted by immigration authorities at six designated airports to nationals of three countries -- Japan, South Korea and the UAE (only for such UAE nationals who had earlier obtained e-visa or regular or paper visa for India).

The stay and movement of foreigners in India and their exit are regulated by the BoI and state governments and Union Territory administrations.

According to existing laws, all foreigners on long-term (more than 180 days) student, medical, research, employment, missionary and project visas are required to register with the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) concerned, having jurisdiction over the place where the foreigner intends to stay, within 14 days of arrival.

Pakistani nationals are required to register within 24 hours of their arrival.

Other laws that cover foreigners in India include the Citizenship Act, 1955, which regulates acquisition and termination of Indian citizenship as well as acquisition and registration of foreigners as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).

Apart from movement, stay and visa, there are certain protected areas in India where foreigners need special permits to travel, including multiple states in the northeastern region, the whole of Andaman and Nicobar, and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

According to Union Home Ministry data, 98.40 lakh foreigners visited India between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.