Following an Israeli airstrike on a hospital complex in central Gaza that left four dead and dozens injured, Israeli trolls alleged that the footage of the aftermath was staged. Pro-Israel contributors to the systematic propaganda campaigns "Gazawood" and "Pallywood" circulated videos that dismissed the reality of the fire that engulfed displaced people in the hospital. Misbar's investigative team thoroughly investigated the claims.
Pro-Israel Accounts Disseminate Misinformation and Hate Speech After the Attack
After Israel bombed tents inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on October 14, Israeli trolls launched a wave of relentless hate speech and misinformation, accusing all the videos shared from inside the hospital in the immediate aftermath of being staged.
An X account, "@natalie_Zion_," shared a video originally posted by a Gazan photographer, which captured the horrifying scene of massive fire engulfing tents housing displaced people and a young man burning to death. The user dismissed the footage as fake without providing any solid evidence.
In the user claims, it is argued that because the man on fire was not shouting, he was acting. The user further suggested that people taking photographs of the incident instead of helping the young burned man indicated that the scene was staged, ignoring the fact that the intensity of the fire prevented them from intervening.
Also, the X user claimed that the presence of the Gazan influencer Saleh Al Jafarawi at the scene was proof that the video was fabricated.
The account "@natalie_Zion_" also claimed that Gazans in the hospital fired the tents for filming a show, stating, “That looks like them setting off the weapons themselves and the weapons blowing up.”
After posting absurd comments that downplayed the severity of the scene, the X platform removed the video and suspended the account that originally published it. Misbar traced the user, who then uploaded a screenshot from another account, "@Natalie_Zion_2," showing a message from X stating that the main account had been "permanently" suspended for violating rules against abuse and harassment.
In the same post, the user commented, "My main account has been permanently banned because I proved a GOREY video with MR FAFO was fake... world is so stupid they believe Pallywood?"
The user spread hate speech and accused Gazans of faking deaths and injuries. In another post on the other account, she expressed frustration with X's policy, which led to her account suspension.
Not only did the user allege that she "proved a GOREY video" was fake, but she also claimed that the shared footage by her was "educational!"
A day after X suspended her account, the main account was reinstated, continuing to spread hate speech, abuse, harassment, and disinformation. Oddly enough, the controversial video remains circulating on the platform, and X has not taken it down.
Misbar's investigative team discovered that the user is using the word "Pallywood" and is both endorsing and being endorsed by the main account "@GAZAWOOD1," which spreads propaganda alleging that Gazans are fabricating videos for the show.
This connection shows a coordinated effort to disseminate disinformation about the situation in Gaza.
In another video, the user callously mocks a girl crying because she is thirsty.
The primary account leading the "#Pallywood" and "#Gazawood" campaign, "@GAZAWOOD1," shared a ten-minute video under the caption: "A collection of videos showing the explosion of a terror ammunition depot and multiple secondary blasts at Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital." However, Misbar's team investigated the video claims and found them baseless.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Tragedy
The Israeli military released a statement confirming its responsibility for the airstrike on the hospital, directly contradicting the claims made by conspiracy theorists that the videos are staged.
The statement reiterated justifications previously used for attacks on hospitals, schools turned into shelters, and so-called “safe zones,” alleging that these were targeted due to the presence of Hamas's command and control center in Deir al-Balah, but without providing any evidence.
Furthermore, the IOF repeated its claims that it had taken measures “to mitigate the risk of harming civilians,” a false justification they often use to rationalize their actions during attacks.
Israel's Airstrike on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Claims Four Lives, Injures Dozens
At least four individuals have been killed and dozens more have been injured in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in central Gaza, where displaced Palestinians sought refuge from ongoing assaults in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday, targeting the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in Deir el-Balah, causing flames to engulf a crowded tent camp nearby.
Gaza’s Media Office reported that this marks the seventh time this year Israel has struck the grounds of Al-Aqsa Hospital and the third incident in recent weeks, resulting in fatalities among Palestinians who have been forced to flee their homes.
Western media outlets have also covered the aftermath of the Israeli attack, with the BBC interviewing eyewitnesses whose accounts were filled with shock and horror.
One mother described it as “one of the worst scenes we’ve witnessed,” while an injured girl recounted hearing screams as people rushed to tear down their tents to rescue others.
A man expressed his despair, saying he had "broken down" because he was unable to do anything to help those who were burning.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which has staff at Al-Aqsa Hospital, informed the BBC that it had no knowledge of a Hamas center and emphasized that “the hospital functions as a hospital.”
Al Jazeera Network released an interview with the brother of the young man seen burning to death in the video. Mohammad al-Dalou recounted the harrowing last moments he witnessed, describing how he saw his brother Shaban and their mother engulfed in flames.
Shaban, a 19-year-old student studying software engineering, struggled to survive in central Gaza after losing his home.
He was actively recording videos to document his family's struggles and their life under the constant threat of Israeli bombings.
