An old video of a huge blast and building collapse has been circulating on social media platforms, claiming that it shows the recent Israeli air strike on Gaza as part of Operation Iron Swords. The video is accompanied by captions such as “Israel destroyed the third Gaza tower, eliminating Palestinian Terrorists” and “Israel launches Operation Iron Swords against Hamas amid rising tensions”. The video resurfaced extensively on the internet, with some users being @100rabhsingh781 and @humantheworld.
The Old Video of Building Collapse is from May 2021
The video in question shows a high-rise building in Gaza City being hit by a missile and collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris. The building was identified as Al-Jalaa Tower, which housed several media offices, including those of Al Jazeera and The Associated Press. The tower was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on May 15, 2021, during the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. The Israeli military said that the building was a legitimate target because it contained Hamas military assets.
The old video can be found on various news websites and YouTube channels that reported the building collapse incident in May 2021. For example, CNN posted the video on its website and Twitter account with the headline “Tower in Gaza City collapses after being hit by airstrike”. Al Jazeera also shared the video on its website and social media platforms with the headline “Israel flattens Palestine Tower amid deadly Gaza bombardment”. Newsweek published an article with the video and the headline “Video Shows Moment Israel Obliterates High-Rise Palestine Tower in Gaza”. Similarly, Reuters published a detailed album covering every image incident of the attack.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas
The current escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas started on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets at several Israeli cities and towns, killing at least 100 people and injuring more than 1,000. Hamas also claimed to have infiltrated the Israeli border by air, land and sea and kidnapped dozens of civilians and soldiers. Israel responded by launching airstrikes on Gaza, targeting Hamas command centres, rocket launchers, tunnels and infrastructure. Israel also declared a total blockade of Gaza, cutting off the supply of food, fuel and other essential commodities to the besieged enclave. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,600 wounded in the Israeli strikes. The United Nations, India and other countries have called for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Conclusion
The video of a building collapse in Gaza that is being shared as recent is actually old and from May 2021. It has nothing to do with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas or any operation named Iron Swords. The video is being shared with false claims to create panic among the public. 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 the recent Israeli air strike on Gaza as part of Operation Iron Swords.
Fact: The video is old and from May 2021. It shows the destruction of the Al-Jalaa Tower by an Israeli air strike during the previous conflict between Israel and Hamas.
