Outdated Photo Shows Israeli Airstrike on Gaza, Not Beirut
The Claim
Israel is massively bombing Beirut.
News posted on
Emerging story
Against the backdrop of the recent Israeli airstrikes on Beirut, Lebanon, media outlets and social media users spread a photo alleging to feature a fireball caused by one of the Israeli strikes on the city.
An X user shared the photo, alleging, "Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut tonight. The media won’t tell you this, but Israel is dropping bombs on civilian homes and infrastructure—not military targets."
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral photo and found the claim to be misleading.
Misbar’s reverse image found the photo to be outdated and unrelated to the recent Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon.
Old Photo Depicts Israeli Airstrike on Gaza, Not Lebanon
Contrary to social media users’ viral claim, the photo does not show a recent Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon.
Misbar’s investigative team traced the original photo to October 2023, when it was uploaded to Getty Images.
The photo's caption indicates that the scene shows a fireball from an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023, two days after the war in Gaza erupted.
The photo was taken by photographer Mahmud Hams for AFP.
The Daily Mail newspaper also featured the same photo in a published article about the Israeli war on Gaza on October 10, 2023.
Israel Intensifies Assault on Northern Gaza, Killing 640 Palestinians in 17 Days
According to Al Jazeera, Israel has killed at least 640 Palestinians in northern Gaza over the past 17 days since it imposed a siege on the area, with 33 of those deaths occurring since Monday morning.
Although Israeli airstrikes have targeted multiple locations across Gaza, the bulk of its military actions have concentrated on the northern region, particularly Jabalia refugee camp.
Israeli soldiers have also surrounded United Nations schools sheltering displaced individuals in Jabalia.
Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has claimed the lives of more than 42,600 people, mostly women and children, and injured 99,800 others since October 2023.
Israeli Military Launches New Wave of Airstrikes Across Lebanon
The Israeli military launched a series of rockets across Lebanon, including 12 in the suburbs of Beirut, after announcing an operation targeting the offices of Hezbollah's al-Qard al-Hassan financial institution.
The strikes on southern Beirut followed accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hezbollah had attempted to assassinate him by targeting his residence in Caesarea, Israel.
Hezbollah responded by saying it had downed an Israeli drone. The group stated that its "air defense units" successfully brought down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone.
Meanwhile, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement on Sunday, condemning the Israeli military for deliberately demolishing one of its observation towers and a perimeter fence in Marwahin, located in southern Lebanon, calling it "a flagrant violation of international law."
Israel recently alleged that Hezbollah was launching attacks from positions near UN peacekeeping forces' posts in southern Lebanon, a claim that has been denied.
Read More
Israel Spreads Propaganda Against UNIFIL to Pressure and Expel U.N. Observers from Lebanon
These Images Are AI-Generated and Not Linked To Israeli Airstrikes Near Beirut Airport
