WebQoof Recap: Of Mis and Disinformation Around Israel-Hamas Conflict

Here are some of the viral pieces of misinformation that were falsely linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

WebQoof Recap: Here are the top five pieces of misinformation that went viral this week around Israel-Hamas war.

(Source: Kamran Akhter/The Quint) 

Following the surprise and devastating attack by Hamas, on 7 October, social media has been flooded with mis and disinformation around the conflict.

Social media users shared several old and unrelated visuals while falsely linking it to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. 

Team WebQoof has debunked over 40 false claims in the span of a week, and here are some of the most viral claims.

1. Video From Egypt Falsely Shared as Hamas Militants 'Parachuting' Into Israel

A video showing several parachutes landing on a huge building is going viral on the internet to claim that it shows Hamas fighters entering Israel.

However, the video is not from Israel.

• It is from Egypt and shows the Military Academy in Cairo.

Read the full story here.

2. Clip From Video Game ARMA 3 Shared as Visual of Conflict Between Hamas & Israel

A video showing two helicopters being shot down from the evening sky has gone viral on social media as a real incident.

The video is being shared to claim that it shows two Israeli helicopters being shot down in Palestinian airspace by Hamas forces.

Users shared a video from Arma 3 game to falsely claim that it shows two Israeli helicopters being shot down in Palestinian airspace by Hamas forces.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

However, this is not true.

• The video was first shared on the internet a few days before Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on 7 October and was created using a video game simulator called ARMA 3.

Read our fact-check here.

3. Clip From Concert Falsely Shared as Music Festival Attendees Fleeing Hamas

A video of people at an open air event is being shared on social media platforms, claiming to show people running for their lives at the music festival which was attacked by Hamas militants on 7 October.

An unrelated video is being shared to claim that it shows people at a music festival running during the attack by Hamas militants.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

However, it was first uploaded on TikTok on or before 5 October and shows visuals of American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars' concert in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Read our fact-check here.

4. No, This Video Does Not Show Hamas Militants Using Parachutes To Enter Israel

A video showing several people using parachutes to land on a fairly crowded football field has gone viral on social media.

The video is being shared to claim that it shows Hamas militants using parachutes to enter Israel.

An archive of this post can be seen here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

However, the video predates the conflict, which started with Hamas' surprise attack on 7 October.

• It was first uploaded on TikTok in September and shows visuals from Egypt.

Read our fact-check here.

5. Unrelated Video From Azerbaijan Shared as Hamas ‘Capturing Israeli Officials'

A video showing masked men in military uniforms with "DTX" written over them, stepping out of a car with three handcuffed men is being shared on social media platforms.

Users have claimed that the video shows the Hamas group capturing "top Israeli generals".

However, this video is not related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

• It shows Azerbaijani security agency, State Security Police (written as Dövlət Təhlükəsizliyi Xidməti - DTX in Azerbaijani language) arresting persons of illegal armed groups operating in the Karabakh region.

Read our fact-check here.

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