2015 Video Shows Large-scale Attack in Syria, Not Gaza

Misbar investigated the viral footage and found the claim to be misleading.

Misbar’s investigative team conducted a thorough reverse image search and found the video to be older than claimed and unrelated to the ongoing war on Gaza.

2015 Video Shows Bombs Exploding in Syria, Not Gaza

Contrary to social media users' claim, the video does not show a recent Israeli air raid on the Gaza Strip. Instead, it dates back to 2015 and shows bomb explosions in the Syrian city of Darayya. 

The Wall Street Journal’s official YouTube channel uploaded the original video on October 29, 2015. The description states that local activists in Darayya posted the distressing footage that originally shows an airstrike by a regime helicopter, capturing bombs exploding just meters from the videographer.

In addition, the British newspaper, the Guardian, uploaded the same video on October 29, 2015. 

According to the newspaper, a man filming near the explosion site captured the dropping of a barrel bomb in the town of Daraya. The footage, showing a helicopter releasing a bomb followed by two subsequent blasts, was posted on Facebook by the activist group Darayya Media Center. The group stated that the attack near Damascus was carried out by the Syrian regime at the time.

Human Rights Groups Documented the Attack

According to the Mirror media outlet, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the area had been targeted repeatedly at the time. The bombs were allegedly dropped by helicopters loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 

Human rights groups suggest that the bombing, believed to be the result of Russian airstrikes, resulted in casualties, including employees at a medical clinic set up by the Syrian-American Medical Society. The staff confirmed that the strikes led to the deaths of 13 people, including a physiotherapist and a nurse.

The Syrian Civil War Lasts for 14 Years

As Syria's conflict enters its 14th year, analysts observe that a lasting political resolution for the war-torn country remains elusive. Despite reclaiming much of the territory once held by anti-government groups, forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, supported by Russian and Iranian allies, continue to engage in multiple battles.

A protest in 2011 erupted against the Assad regime and swiftly escalated into a civil war that has claimed over 300,000 lives and displaced more than 13 million people, both internally and abroad, according to the United Nations. Other monitors, such as the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, estimate the death toll to be as high as 500,000.

The United Nations reported in March 2024 that 16.7 million people within Syria are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Israeli Aggression in Gaza Intensifies

Since October 7, the Israeli assaults on Gaza have resulted in at least 38,295 fatalities and 88,241 injuries. 

On July 10, the Israeli army issued orders for Palestinian civilians to evacuate Gaza City following strikes on UNRWA's headquarters. These attacks come in the wake of a deadly incident where 27 people were killed and 53 injured in an Israeli assault on a school housing displaced civilians in Khan Yunis.

Over the past four days, four schools have been targeted, leading to forced evacuations of thousands of Palestinians from Khan Yunis and Gaza City. Moreover, three major hospitals in northern Gaza have been compelled to cease operations due to the ongoing violence and destruction.

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