Video does not show 'Israeli air force defection' in war with Iran
It shows a group of men and women in uniform walking along a road with sirens and horns heard in the background.
Several other Facebook posts peddled the same claim, while another version claims the video shows the Iranian army "walking out" from the war.
Image
Screenshot of the false Facebook post taken on July 6, 2025, with the red X mark added by AFP
Following a US-announced ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Iran from ever rebuilding its nuclear facilities, raising the prospect of further conflict.
However, the circulating clip was shared months before the war and shows an unrelated event.
Tel Aviv protest
Google reverse image searches of the video's keyframes led to an X post by Israeli journalist Bar Peleg on November 6, 2024 (archived here and here).
The Hebrew-language description states border police officers at the Ayalon highway were moving to extinguish bonfires during a protest.
At the clip's five-second mark, a woman in uniform can be seen holding a fire extinguisher.
Image
Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the identical footage uploaded to X in November 2024
Peleg shared another similar clip minutes later, saying the police were not attempting to clear protesters on the road (archived link).
AFP published footage from a protest in Tel Aviv against the sacking of defence minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, which shows demonstrators had set fires along a stretch of the Ayalon highway in the city (archived link).
The 2022 Google Maps Street View of a portion of the Ayalon highway shows the same skyscraper named "Electra" on the left side of the highway (archived link).
Image
Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the Google Maps Street View of the Ayalon Highway, with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP
Other identical features from the falsely shared video include the bridge's V-shaped vertical support and the mid-rise buildings at the background (archived link).
Image
Screenshot comparison of the false post (L) and the Google Maps Street View of the Ayalon Highway, with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP
AFP has debunked several other clips falsely linked to the Iran-Israel war here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
6 minutes ago
- LeMonde
Trump says Putin-Witkoff talks 'highly productive' but sanctions still due
President Donald Trump on Wednesday, August 6 hailed talks between his envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine as "highly productive," but US officials said sanctions would still be imposed on Moscow's trading partners. Trump, who had boasted he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make progress towards peace or face new penalties. US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin for what the Kremlin said were "constructive" talks two days ahead of the US deadline for Russia. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that "great progress was made" during the meeting – but minutes later a senior US official said that "secondary sanctions" were still expected to be implemented on Friday. Three rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a ceasefire, with the two sides far apart in their demands. Russia has escalated drone and missile attacks against its pro-Western neighbor to a record high and accelerated its advance on the ground. "A quite useful and constructive conversation took place," Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists, including AFP, after the three-hour meeting. Putin and Witkoff exchanged "signals" on their positions, Ushakov said, without elaborating. The Kremlin released a video of Putin shaking hands with Witkoff at the start of the meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later on Wednesday that he had spoken by phone with Trump after Witkoff visited Moscow. "European leaders were on the call, and I am grateful to each of them for their support," he added on social media, without saying which leaders took part in the call. Sanctions threat The White House has not officially outlined what action it would take against Russia, but Trump has previously threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's key trade partners, such as China and India. On Wednesday, Trump ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The move would aim to stifle Russian exports, but would risk significant international disruption. Trump said on Tuesday that he would await the outcome of the Moscow talks before ordering any economic sanctions. "We're going to see what happens," he told reporters. "We'll make that determination at that time." Without explicitly naming Trump, the Kremlin on Tuesday slammed "threats" to hike tariffs on Russia's trading partners as "illegitimate."
France 24
23 minutes ago
- France 24
Egypt sets opening of $1 bn Pyramids museum for Nov 1
Authorities hope that the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which boasts the treasures of Tutankhamun among its collection of more than 100,000 ancient Egyptian artefacts, will attract visitors from around the world. Official say that at 50 hectares (124 acres), the museum will be the largest in the world dedicated to a single civilisation. Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly told a cabinet meeting that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had approved the new opening date. He said the opening would "an exceptional event" that would showcase Egypt's cultural heritage and attract visitors from around the world. It had been set for July 3 but was postponed when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13 sparking a 12-day war that closed airspace across much of the Middle East. The project has faced a series of setbacks, including political unrest and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Authorities anticipate that the museum will draw five million visitors per year in a major boost to the tourism industry, which is a key foreign exchange earner for Egypt. © 2025 AFP
France 24
4 hours ago
- France 24
Israel orders army to execute govt decisions on Gaza
As the war nears its 23rd month, signs of a rift over Israel's strategy have emerged with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to announce a new plan. He has said Israel must "complete" the defeat of Palestinian militant group Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the October 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Israeli press, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, has predicted an escalation of operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held, such as Gaza City and refugee camps. On Wednesday, the military issued a fresh evacuation call for parts of Gaza City, in the north, and Khan Yunis in the south, where a spokesman said ground troops were preparing to "expand the scope of combat operations". Media reports in Israel have said Netanyahu and his cabinet may order a full military occupation of Gaza, allegedly sparking dissension from armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. On Tuesday, Netanyahu held a three-hour meeting with security chiefs including Zamir to discuss options for the continuation of the war, the premier's office said in a statement. At the meeting, Zamir warned that a full occupation would be like "walking into a trap", public broadcaster Kan reported. Channel 12 television said the armed forces chief suggested alternatives to a full occupation, such as encircling specific areas where Hamas militants are believed to be hunkering down. Defence Minister Israel Katz said in post on X that while "it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums", the military is bound by any decisions made by the government. "Once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism," Katz said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. Trump says 'up to Israel' Netanyahu is expected to convene his security cabinet on Thursday to finalise a decision on the expansion of the offensive, Israeli media reported. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he told Netanyahu in a Wednesday meeting that "occupying Gaza is a very bad idea... operationally, morally and economically". US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday he was not aware of plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, but said that such a decision would be "up to Israel". The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war to an end, with mounting concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increasing alarm among Israelis about the fate of the remaining hostages. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The UN Security Council held a special session on Tuesday to discuss the plight of the Israeli hostages, as the country seeks to keep the issue at the top of the global agenda. On Tuesday, Trump described a recent video released by Hamas of emaciated Israeli hostage Evyatar David purportedly digging his own grave as "horrible." In parallel, international criticism has surged over the suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza after the United Nations warned that famine is unfolding in the territory. 'Dangerous roads' "The truck overturned while hundreds of civilians were waiting for food aid" in central Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. He said that "the truck had been forced by the Israeli army to take dangerous roads" that had been damaged in bomardments. The Hamas-run government accused Israel of "deliberately obstructing the safe passage and distribution of the aid". Asked by AFP, a military official said the army was not involved in the incident. At the end of May, Israel eased the aid blockade it had imposed in early March. But the United Nations says the quantities of aid being allowed into Gaza are still insufficient. The October 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations.
