This Video Dates Back to 2021, and Does Not Show Israeli Cargo Ship Attacked in the Red Sea

6th December 2023

This Video Dates Back to 2021, and Does Not Show Israeli Cargo Ship Attacked in the Red Sea

The video is unrelated to the Gaza war (X)

The Claim

A widely shared video claims to show Israeli cargo ship “Unity Explorer” which was set on fire by the Yemeni Houthi militia group in the red sea.

News posted on

Emerging story

After a Houthi spokesperson stated that the group’s fighters hijacked an Israeli cargo ship in the southern red sea, a video of a burning cargo ship has been shared by many on social media.

The claim asserted that the ship named “Unity Explorer” and “ Calandra” had sunk in the red sea after the American military ships and other bases failed to rescue the ship from the Yemeni Houthi group in the red sea.

A supporting image within the article body

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.

This Video Is From May 2021, and Shows the Singapore Container Ship Near the Sri Lankan Coast

After conducting a keyword search, Misbar’s team found that the viral video is from May 2021, and shows a container ship (X PRESS PEARL) that had burst into flames in the Sri Lankan waters about 9.5 nautical miles from the port of Colombo on the afternoon of May 20th 2021.

Similar posts were widely shared on Facebook and Instagram.

Moreover, Misbar’s team found the same scene in a BBC News report that was published on YouTube in May 25, 2021. The report indicated that “Sri Lanka navy rescue crew following chemical fire on cargo ship.”