Outdated Photo of Israel Wildfires Shared as Recent Resistance Strikes Impact

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

A thorough reverse image conducted by Misbar’s team found that the photo is outdated and unrelated to the ongoing conflicts.

Outdated Photo Shows Wildfires Erupt in Israel 

Contrary to social media users' circulating claim, the photo does not depict a recent scene from northern occupied Palestine. 

The photo dates back to 2016. A video uploaded to YouTube on November 29, 2016, shows aerial views of wildfires that engulfed Israel at that time.

Misbar's investigative team compared the circulating image with the original scenes from the YouTube video and confirmed that the two are identical. The same hectares of land and burned houses seen in the aftermath of the fire are present in both photos.

According to the video’s description, a fire ignited in the forest near the town of Neve Tzuf. Due to the response of emergency crews and the reaction of the town’s residents, there were no casualties.

2016 Israel Wildfires 

According to Al Jazeera Net, massive fires broke out across central and northern Israel on November 22, 2016, with strong winds aiding their spread to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Unable to control the fires, which they claimed were partly intentional, Israeli authorities sought international help and arrested dozens of Palestinians both in the West Bank and within the Green Line.

The fires devastated forests west of occupied Jerusalem, around Haifa, and on the hillsides of central and northern Israel, extending into parts of the occupied West Bank. Dry weather and strong easterly winds worsened the situation.

The fires caused extensive damage, burning thousands of acres of land and destroying numerous homes. 

Israel Nature and Parks Authority reported that over 13,000 hectares of forests and green spaces were burned at the time. Initial assessments suggest that approximately 700 homes were damaged or completely destroyed. The Haifa Municipality reported that 1,784 homes in the city were affected, with 572 rendered uninhabitable, and estimated the total damage at $120 million.

Israel Claims Fire Eruption Is Intentional

While many sources attribute the fires to weather conditions and strong winds, Israeli officials have claimed that some of the fires were deliberate. On November 25, 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the fires were intentionally set. Former Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev called for the expulsion of those proven to be involved in the fires.

In response to these accusations, the Israeli police detained 23 individuals suspected of being behind the ‘criminal fires.’ Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan implied that the detainees were from "minorities," suggesting they might be Palestinians or Arab Israelis.

The police spokesperson indicated that the police have investigated thirty suspects since the start of the fire wave.

In contrast, Ayman Odeh, leader of the Arab Joint List in the Knesset, rejected the Israeli accusations, asserting that the Israeli police are complicit in incitement and conducting random arrests of Arab youth.

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