Photo of Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Shared as Russian Military Operation in Ukraine
The Claim
A photo depicts the start of the Russian military operation and the bombing of Ukrainian military airports and depots.
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Emerging story
Facebook pages and accounts have been circulating for hours a photo purporting to show the start of the Russian military operation and the bombing of military airports and depots in Ukraine.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and discovered it to be misleading, as the photo was of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip from May 2021. Photographer Mahmoud Hams captured the image for the AFP news agency.
In May 2021, Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired by Palestinian resistance groups from the Gaza Strip and attacks by Israeli forces and settlers on residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.
The claim came after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of a military operation at dawn on Thursday, February 24, 2022, just days after signing a decree recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine.
Translated by Wesam Abo Marq
