A video of two F-16 fighter jets being transported by trucks on a highway has been circulating on social media, with some users claiming that it shows Israel evacuating its airports due to the threat of Hamas rockets during the Gaza Conflict. Some pro-Palestinian accounts have even claimed that the video shows Hamas capturing Israeli jets. However, these claims are false and misleading, as the video is not related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Some of the pro-Palestinian propagandists who shared the fake misleading news were @007AliSohrab, @PalestineChron, @swilkinsonbc, @AsifSarwar25 and @kingkalvo1.
The origin of the video
The actual video was uploaded by a channel named “Israel Defense Forces” on September 15, 2023, with the title: “F-16 fighter jets transported by ground in Israel”. The reason for the transportation was unknown then. The video was uploaded by many users on Twitter, one such account being @Sprinter99800.
Later, the video was also reported by several Israeli media outlets, such as The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, and Ynetnews, which confirmed that the video was filmed in southern Israel, near the city of Beersheba. The reports also quoted an IDF spokesperson, who said that the transport of the jets was “a routine procedure that takes place from time to time”.
The False Claims of F-16 Fighter Jets in the Gaza Conflict
The video resurfaced on social media in October 2023, amid the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Some users shared the video with captions such as: “Israel evacuating its airports fearing Hamas rockets” or “Hamas captured Israeli F-16 fighter jets”.
These claims are baseless and fabricated, as there is no evidence that the video has anything to do with the current situation in Israel and Gaza. The video was filmed a month before the outbreak of hostilities, and it shows a normal and planned transport of military aircraft, not an evacuation or a capture.
The conclusion
The video of two F-16 fighter jets being transported by trucks on a highway in southern Israel is not related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The video was filmed in September 2023, and it shows a routine procedure that takes place from time to time. The claims that the video shows Israel evacuating its airports or Hamas capturing its jets are false and misleading. Following a precise analysis and fact-checking, our team has reviewed the claim. You can refer to the findings of this inquiry in the Twitter thread below.
Claim: A video shows Israel evacuating its airports or Hamas capturing its F-16 fighter jets due to the conflict in Gaza.
Fact: The video is old and unrelated to the current situation. It shows the normal transport of military aircraft in southern Israel.
