Old Footage of Lebanese Villagers Capturing Hezbollah Fighters Shared As Recent

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

Druze Villagers in Lebanon Intercept Hezbollah Rocket Launchers in 2021

Misbar's team found that the video, which was recorded in August 2021, depicts residents of a Druze village in southern Lebanon arresting a Hezbollah individual suspected of launching rockets at Israel.

A news report from Arab News on August 8, 2021, explains that Druze inhabitants of a village in southern Lebanon intervened to stop a Hezbollah team operating rocket launchers that were firing into Israel. They detained the crew until the Lebanese Army arrived, as shown in media reports and video footage. The footage depicted villagers halting a truck-mounted multiple launch rocket system as it passed through Chouya.

According to Reuters, Hezbollah fighters who launched rockets at Israeli forces from Lebanon on Friday faced an unusual challenge from local residents after the incident, as the militants moved through a Druze region in the south. A video shared on social media and aired by Lebanese television stations captured a group of men surrounding a blue flatbed truck equipped with rocket launchers in Chouaya, an area mainly inhabited by Druze. The Lebanese army later announced that it had detained the four individuals responsible for launching the rockets and confiscated the launcher used in the operation.

Hezbollah Launches Unprecedented Missile Attack Near Tel Aviv, Intercepted by Israel

The circulation of the claim came after Israel intercepted a missile fired by Hezbollah near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in the conflict between the two groups. Residents of Tel Aviv and the central city of Netanya were alerted by sirens as Israel's air defenses reported the interception of a surface-to-surface missile, the first ever to approach the city, according to the Israeli military. 

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Hezbollah confirmed the launch of a Qadr 1 ballistic missile targeting Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad.

This incident is believed to be Hezbollah's first ballistic missile aimed at Israel, launched “in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza” and in “defense of Lebanon and its people.” The missile was intercepted near Tel Aviv, a city with over 4 million residents, and the Israeli air force targeted its launcher in Nafakhiyeh, southern Lebanon. Following the alerts in Tel Aviv and Netanya, the Israeli Forces confirmed that the missile, described as “heavy” and “long range,” was intercepted.

Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah Killed in Israeli Airstrike

Hassan Nasrallah, the longstanding leader of Hezbollah, was confirmed dead following a significant Israeli airstrike on Beirut on Friday evening, according to the Lebanon-based group.

Earlier that day, the Israeli army announced the assassination. Nasrallah, who gained widespread popularity after the 2006 war with Israel, was regarded as a hero not only in Lebanon but also in other regions. His resistance against Israel defined his leadership and that of Hezbollah for many years. However, perceptions shifted when Hezbollah deployed fighters to Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad against the uprising threatening his regime.

As a result, Nasrallah transitioned from being viewed as a leader of a resistance movement to being seen as the head of a Shia party advancing Iranian interests, attracting criticism from numerous Arab nations. 

Read More

This Video Does Not Show Hashem Safi Al-Din After Hassan Nasrallah's Assassination

This Image Does Not Depict Celebrations in Beirut Following Hassan Nasrallah's Assassination