An Old Video Depicting A Car Ramming Into Protesters Inaccurately Associated With The Gaza War
The Claim
A video shows a settler driving into Israeli protesters.
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A recent video shared on social media captures an incident where a vehicle is seen veering into a group of demonstrators, with at least two people being hit.
These demonstrators were identifiable by their visible display of the Israeli flag. The footage suggests that the driver, allegedly an Israeli settler, intentionally targeted the protesters, causing injuries.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
Misbar's team found that the video was recorded in September and captures a car running over a gathering of protestors who were demonstrating against judicial overhaul reforms in Israel.
The Video Predates the Gaza War
At the time of the incident, the protestors had blocked the Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv. During the investigation, the individuals in the car stated that they did not have any intention to harm the protestors.
As reported by Hebrew media on The Times of Israel, the driver provided an explanation to the authorities stating that his son, who was a novice driver, had been operating the vehicle before becoming overwhelmed by the presence of the protestors obstructing the road.
In an attempt to address the situation, the father, who was seated in the front passenger seat, decided to switch positions with his son. However, during this transition, an unintended occurrence took place where he inadvertently pressed the accelerator while moving into the driver's seat. This sudden acceleration caused the car to lurch forward and collide with the protestors.
Potential Crisis Looms as Palestinian Official Accuses Israel of Violating Prisoner Release Agreement
According to CNN's Abeer Salman in Jerusalem and Jeremy Diamond in Sderot, a Palestinian official who focuses on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has raised concerns about a potential crisis in the agreement between Hamas and Israel for the release of hostages from Gaza in exchange for the freedom of Palestinian detainees.
The head of the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs, Qadura Fares, informed CNN that Israel is not adhering to the agreed-upon criterion of seniority when releasing prisoners. This departure from the order based on the length of time served may lead to a crisis, Fares warned.
CNN has reached out to Israeli officials for their response to these allegations.
On Saturday, Israel was preparing to release an additional 42 prisoners, following the release of 39 women and teenagers on Friday. As part of the deal, Israel is set to free three Palestinians for each Israeli hostage released from Gaza.
An Israeli official familiar with the process confirmed that the Israeli prison administration has received the names of the 42 females and minors who are scheduled to be released in the second batch.
Similar to the previous releases, the procedure will involve transferring detainees from Megiddo and Damon prisons to Ofer prison. Subsequently, the Palestinian prisoners will be released from Ofer using Red Cross buses.
Prisoners from Jerusalem will be taken to police stations in the city for their release, while those from the West Bank were already released at the Beitunia checkpoint on the outskirts of Ramallah on Friday.
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