Fact Check: Israeli copter shot down in South Lebanon? No, viral image is old
An image of a helicopter has gone viral as an Israeli helicopter being shot down in Al-Khiyam, Lebanon.
By Sibahathulla Sakib Published on 24 Nov 2024 2:43 PM IST
Claim: The image shows an Israeli helicopter being shot down in Al-Khiyam, Lebanon, with dead and wounded soldiers onboard.
Fact: The claim is false. The image has been in circulation since 2019.
Hyderabad: Amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Israeli forces reportedly struck areas in southern Lebanon and the outskirts of Beirut on Friday, killing at least five medics. Ground clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters were also reported in the region.
A viral claim has emerged on social media stating that an Israeli helicopter had been shot down in Al-Khiyam, southern Lebanon, while transporting dead and wounded soldiers. The claim, accompanied by a photo of a helicopter releasing flares, has gone viral online.
A Facebook user shared the image with the caption, āBreaking: An Israeli helicopter has just been shot down in the #Al-Khiyam area, southern Lebanon, while transporting several dead and wounded soldiers of the Zionist army.ā
Similar claims can be seen here and here.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The viral image has been on the Internet since 2019.
A reverse image search led to a report by Arab News titled āGaza under fire: Israeli jets strike Hamas targets after Tel Aviv attackā published on March 25, 2019.
The report used the same image with the caption: āAn Israeli helicopter shoots flares over the Gaza Strip on March 25, 2019 (AFP).ā This hinted that the image is from an earlier conflict.
Further, a keyword search led us to a Times of Israel article from May 20, 2019, which featured the same image, captioned: āAn Israeli helicopter shoots flares over the Gaza Strip hours after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave hit a house near Tel Aviv and wounded seven people, leading to fears of a severe escalation, on March 25, 2019. (Mohammed Abed/AFP)ā
An additional report by Al Jazeera, dated March 25, 2019, showed a wider-angle view of the same photo with the caption: āAn Israeli Apache helicopter releases flares as it flies over the Gaza Strip (Mohammed Salem/Reuters).ā
These findings confirmed that the image is old and unrelated to any recent events in Al-Khiyam, southern Lebanon.
Moreover, a search for recent reports of Israeli helicopters being shot down yielded no credible reports. The official Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) social media channel has reported ongoing fighting in southern Lebanon but has not mentioned any incident of an Israeli helicopter being shot down.
Additionally, while fighting is ongoing in southern Lebanon, reports from outlets like Anadolu Agency confirmed bombardments in Al-Khiyam but made no mention of helicopters being shot down.
Hence, the claim that an Israeli helicopter was shot down in Al-Khiyam, southern Lebanon, while transporting dead and wounded soldiers is false. The viral photo is from 2019, depicting an unrelated event in Gaza.
