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Viral photo purporting to show plane landing at Beirut airport amid Israeli attack is AI-generated


Zakariya has experience working for magazines, newspapers and news portals. Before joining Newschecker, he worked for Network18's Urdu channel. Zakariya completed his post-graduate studies in mass communication and journalism from Lucknow University.

Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying new media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating fact from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues impact individuals at the micro level. Before joining Newschecker's English team, she worked for Latestly.

Pankaj Menon is a Delhi-based fact-checker who enjoys conducting “digital sleuthing” and denouncing misinformation. He completed his MA in International Relations from the University of Madras and has worked with organizations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.

Claim
The photo shows planes landing at Beirut airport during an Israeli attack.

fact
It was determined that the image was created by AI.

A photo showing a plane in the air while a massive explosion rages in the background subsequently went viral on the Internet Reports Earlier this week there were Israeli airstrikes near Beirut airport. Several social media users shared the “iconic” video that purportedly shows a plane landing at Beirut International Airport during an Israeli attack. However, Newschecker found that the photo was created by AI.

On Facebook and

Screenshot from @CarlosL84862301's X post
Viral photo purporting to show plane landing at Beirut airport amid Israeli attack is AI-generated
Screenshot from a Facebook post by @ayesha.alli.7

Such posts can be seen Here, Here, Here And Here.

Also Read: Mallikarjun Kharge forced out of the hall as Priyanka Gandhi files her nomination? Here's the truth behind viral videos

Fact check/verification

A reverse image search on the viral photo returned no credible results suggesting it was from Beirut Airport.

While carefully analyzing the image, we discovered a tree on the aircraft's fin and looked it up on the Google lens. This led us to the official website of Middle East Airlines and OneSpotter.com with pictures of similar aircraft.

When comparing a Middle East Airlines plane and the plane in the viral photo, several discrepancies were found.

(LR) Viral image and an actual MEA aircraft

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We then looked up the viral image of several AI detection platforms, e.g lighting And Hive moderationwhich found a high probability that it was generated by artificial intelligence.

Screenshot from Illuminarty website
Screenshot from the Hive Moderation website

Also an Instagram post from @eyesoflebanondated October 21, 2024 also contained the same image as well as another similar photo and clarified that they were “AI-generated photos depicting the real situation.”

Screenshot from an Instagram post by @eyesoflebanon

Also Read: Rape survivor publicly whipped under Sharia law? No, UP Viral video from 2018 with fake community spin

Diploma

It turns out that the viral image showing a plane landing at Beirut airport amid an Israeli attack was generated by artificial intelligence.

Result: Altered photo

Sources
lighting website
Hive moderation website
Instagram post by @eyesoflebanonFrom October 21, 2024

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Zakariya has experience working for magazines, newspapers and news portals. Before joining Newschecker, he worked for Network18's Urdu channel. Zakariya completed his post-graduate studies in mass communication and journalism from Lucknow University.

Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying new media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating fact from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues impact individuals at the micro level. Before joining Newschecker's English team, she worked for Latestly.

Pankaj Menon is a Delhi-based fact-checker who enjoys conducting “digital sleuthing” and denouncing misinformation. He completed his MA in International Relations from the University of Madras and has worked with organizations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.

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