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.
Israeli Defence forces are now evacuating Air Bases near Gaza as thousands of terrorists flood into Israel.
— Ashlea Simon (@AshleaSimonBF) October 7, 2023
This situation is just escalating.#Israel #Hamas #Palestine #Palestinian #IronDome #Gaza #TelAviv
pic.twitter.com/mcI9WyWSt8
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.
בנתיים בנגב
— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) September 13, 2023
מטוסי קרב מדגם אף 16 משונעים בכביש הפתוח pic.twitter.com/Y59B4oJvMD
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.
🇮🇱🇵🇸 If this much damage has been done by a few motorized paragliders and moped militias, I can’t imagine what will happen if this unfolds into a full blown Arab conflict. Praying for peace. pic.twitter.com/eqrrycOqZE
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) October 8, 2023
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.
#Hamas terrorist with kidnapped Jewish baby girl in #Gaza.
— Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) October 9, 2023
The caption in Arabic reads “ A lost girl”. This is our enemy. #Israel #HamasTerrorism #IsraelAtWar #IsraelUnderFire pic.twitter.com/UlhyhVfFcf
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.
Fake!
— Charles Weber (@CWBOCA) October 9, 2023
Girl is not Jewish and was posted a month ago.https://t.co/ZwAvPVZCJZ
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.
Fireworks in Gaza as #ısrael
— Ritu #जिष्णु (@RituRathaur) October 8, 2023
launches air strikes on locations of #HamasTerrorists
This is the only way to counter zlamic violence, they don't understand the language of love & peace. pic.twitter.com/f5kxA37wzL
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.
This video, published on September 28, 2023 here https://t.co/nOpVcWGM8S, does not show Gaza. pic.twitter.com/szrFir6C2c
— 49742773204f6b20746f20234c6561726e🫐 (@546f436f6465) October 8, 2023
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.
BREAKING: CASUALTY UPDATE -
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) October 7, 2023
The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that according to preliminary data:
161 people were killed and 931 injured as a result of the Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Government has said: at least 40 Israelis dead, 750 injured… pic.twitter.com/B2j0pNsBgV
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.
This airstrike leveled an entire residential building in Gaza City’s AlZaitoun neighborhood. https://t.co/lawJ2Ya8zC pic.twitter.com/804c8nbjoy
— Nour Odeh 🇵🇸 #NojusticeNopeace (@nour_odeh) May 13, 2023
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New Delhi (PTI): The final journey of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.
The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe".
A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers walked along as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.
Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives.
Singh's mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 AM.
The mortal remains were kept there for about an hour, with several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.
Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body and paid their last respects.
Meanwhile, the funeral preparations were being given final touches at the Nigambodh Ghat where the last rites of the former prime minister would be performed at 11.45 am with full state honours.
Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.
Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.
A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.