Video does not show Hamas shooting at airdrops – DW – October 25, 2024

A video purportedly showing Hamas fighters firing at humanitarian airdrops has gone viral on social media. Posts sharing the video suggest that despite Israel's efforts to provide aid, Hamas is the main obstacle to aid reaching civilians.

Claim: According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) The video shows Hamas fighters firing at humanitarian aid airdrops. The video begins in a hair salon with several men running outside. The sound of gunshots can be heard. The camera then pans up to show two planes flying over what appears to be an urban area, dropping aid packages attached to parachutes. Another contribution to X shares the video with the caption:

“Idiots from Gaza who shot at aid drops yesterday. How can people become so stupid?”

Both tweets were viewed more than a million times each. The video was also widely shared by other accounts with large followings on X, reaching millions of views in English. It was also distributed in PersianArabic, and Spanish on different platforms.

DW fact check: INCORRECT

The video is digitally manipulated and does not show Hamas fighters firing at humanitarian airdrops. It consists of two independent clips edited together.

The video of airdrops being shot at is a collage

A reverse image search from the barbershop scene reveals that the clip comes from an older video which appeared online in 2022. Modified versions of this footage circulated with additional sound effects such as gunshots, sirens and screams. The video then pans to the sky, where the clouds have been digitally edited to show praying hands or an angelic figure ascending to heaven. Several versions of this video are available online – some claim it shows an angel sighting with the word “Amen” over the footage.

The second segment, depicting the airdrop, circulated on platforms like XTikTok and YouTube since at least the end of September, without any sounds of gunfire. However, the exact date and location are not yet confirmed. Excerpts from the video went viral in Persian during this time and Hindiwhich falsely claims to show “Israel’s deadly commandos” landing in Lebanon for a ground invasion.

Auxiliary air drops are dangerous but necessary

Official Israeli data indicate that humanitarian airdrops were flown into Gaza more than 126 times from February to September 2024, with the most recent case being carried out by the United Arab Emirates in October. There have been reports of incidents in which faulty parachutes resulted in deaths, including the death of a three-year-old boy – similar to an earlier case in March in which faulty parachute drops reportedly killed civilians.

While the video may show one of these aid deliveries, the question arises as to whether this specific airdrop corresponds to one of these aid deliveries The documented humanitarian operation is not yet conclusive.

As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens due to intensive Israeli military operations, access to aid remains severely limited. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)Between October 1 and October 21, only four out of 70 shipments destined for people in North Gaza and Gaza City governorates were cleared by Israeli authorities through the Al Rashid checkpoint.

Humanitarian and non-governmental organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Councilhave repeatedly criticized the Israeli government and accused it of systematically blocking the import of vital resources – such as food, medicine, fuel and medical supplies – into the Gaza Strip. Some human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watchhave even said that Israel used starvation as a means of warfare.

U.S. officials have called on Israel to facilitate aid deliveries to ease human suffering. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies that his government is blocking food shipments, while Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials say Hamas is intercepting and misusing humanitarian aid. Hamas is the Palestinian Islamist group that has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades and is recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, Germany, the United States and many others.