Video purported to show aftermath of strikes on Israel predates Iran attack
The video is not connected to Israel
CLAIM
A video published on X purports to show settlements on fire following an attack by Iran on Israel on April 14.
BACKGROUND
One person was injured after Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday into Sunday, April 14.
In a statement released on April 13, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, “Iran has launched a direct attack from Iranian soil towards the state of Israel.”
An update by the IDF said it had intercepted the “vast majority” of more than 200 missiles and drones launched by Iran, using its “Arrow” aerial defence system.
Amid the strikes, a video emerged on an X account purporting to show Israeli settlements on fire following the attack by Iran.
“Breaking News: Missiles have begun reaching the settlements.” #israel,” the user posted.
The 23-second video depicts raging fires burning near a highway as several people walk in and out of the shot.
The video had racked up over 170,000 views in little over six hours.
METHOD
Listening closely to the video, we can hear that Spanish is spoken in the video, raising an immediate red flag over the provenance of the content.
A reverse image search unearthed an earlier version of the video posted on March 3, 2024.
“Texas Fires The majority–88 percent–of Texas’ total cattle and calves on feed are in the Panhandle… Nothing to see here, just another coincidence…,” the poster captioned the video.
A further search unearthed an earlier version of the video, dated March 2, captioned “Hell on Earth as Fires continue to burn out of control. Reports suggest that over 80% of ALL of Texas Cattle Feed is in the impacted area.”
A third version of the video, published on February 4, 2024, purported that the footage showed wildfires in the Achupallas, Viñs del Mar, region of Chile earlier this year.
From this analysis, we can conclude that the video dates back to at least February 2024 and predates Iran’s attack on Israel on April 14.
RATING
The is old and predates Iran’s attack on Israel on April 14.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: “Breaking News: Missiles have begun reaching the settlements.” [Accessed 14 Apr. 2024].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: The majority–88 percent–of Texas’ total cattle and calves on feed are in the Panhandle… [Accessed 14 Apr. 2024].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: Hell on Earth as Fires continue to burn out of control. [Accessed 14 Apr. 2024].
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). Available at: INCENDIO REGIÓN DE VALPARAÍSO Achupallas, Viñs del Mar [Accessed 14 Apr. 2024].