Video shows “second night of missiles attacks against Israel.”
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Old video mischaracterized as showing Hamas attacking Israel in 2023
Following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel, video games and old warfare footage are being mischaracterized to claim they show recent violence in the Middle East.
Among them is a video shared in an Oct. 9 Instagram post showing what looks like rapid rocket fire at night.
"Second night of missiles attacks against Israel," text over the video says.
"Thousands of missiles are being fired by Palestinian Hamas at Israeli civilians from Gaza," the post said. "Share this with the world — what mainstream media refuses to share."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Featured Fact-check
The video has been online since 2020.
On Feb. 28 of that year, a YouTube account shared the video and described it as showing Syria.
Other online posts from that year show stills of the video and similarly put the action in Syria.
What we know for sure: This isn’t a recent video of Hamas attacking Israel.
We rate that claim False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Oct. 9, 2023
Polis Media, Syria: They didn't shoot down a plane with 172 passengers in the "chak," July 2, 2020
Newsit, Syria: They didn't shoot down a plane with 172 passengers in the "chak," July 2, 2020
Newsit, Syria: Unprecedented fighting in Idlib between Assad and Turkey [video], April 2, 2020
YouTube, Syria: 6 martyred in regime attacks on Turkish troops, archived Feb. 5, 2020
YouTube, ЭТОЙ НОЧЬЮ В СИРИИ БЫЛО НЕ СПОКОЙНО.28.02.2020, Feb. 28, 2020
PolitiFact, Video clip of aircraft shot down is from video game, not Israel-Hamas conflict, Oct. 9, 2023
PolitiFact, Viral clip shows video game footage, not violence in Israel, Oct. 9, 2023
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
Old video mischaracterized as showing Hamas attacking Israel in 2023
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.