A few days ago, a video surfaced on social media platforms, showing the spokesperson of Izzuddin Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, thanking the Islamic Republic of Iran for providing weapons, money and other equipment to use against Israel in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israeli Security Forces. The video was shared with captions such as “Hamas thanks Iran for its support in the war against Israel” and “Iran is the main sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East”. However, a fact-check revealed that this video is old and has nothing to do with the recent unrest in the region.
The Origin Of The Video
The video was originally posted on YouTube by a channel named باسل السويد Basel Alswed, 5 years ago. The video shows Abu Obaidah, the spokesperson of Izzuddin Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, delivering a speech in Arabic, praising Iran and thanking it for the weapons, funds, missiles and other aid that contributed to Hamas’s “victory” in the conflict with Israel that summer.
The video was also reported by various media outlets at that time, such as Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post. The video was seen as a sign of warming ties between Hamas and Iran, after a period of estrangement due to their differences over the Syrian civil war.
The Truth Of Hamas Thanking Iran Video
A simple reverse image search of the video’s screenshots led us to the original source of the video on YouTube, which clearly shows that it was posted in 2014 and not in 2023. Moreover, a comparison of the video’s audio with the subtitles revealed that they matched exactly, indicating that the video was not tampered with or dubbed. Furthermore, a translation of the video’s speech confirmed that Hamas leader Abu Obaidah was referring to and thanking Iran and other countries for the 2014 conflict and not the current one. He mentioned specific events and figures that were relevant to that time period, such as the death toll of Palestinians and Israelis, the duration of the ceasefire and the terms of the agreement.
The Misuse Of The Video
The video resurfaced on social media platforms in October 2023, amid the escalation of violence between Hamas and Israel, following the assassination of a senior Hamas commander by Israeli forces. The video was shared by misinformation propaganda accounts with false claims that it was a recent statement by Hamas spox Abu Obaidah, expressing gratitude and thanking Iran for its support in the current conflict. The video was also edited to remove the date and the logo of Al-Aqsa TV, making it appear more credible. The misleading video with fake claims was shared by @MeghUpdates, @JimFergusonUK, @AsaadHannaa, @EmekaGift100, @balochi5252 and @sarahraviani.
Conclusion
The video of Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaidah thanking Iran for its support in the war against Israel is old and of 2014, and has nothing to do with the recent unrest in the region. It is a misleading use of an old video to spread false information and propaganda.
Therefore, it is evident that the video is old and has been falsely linked to the recent conflict between Hamas and Israel. It is a deliberate attempt by misinformation propaganda accounts to set a narrative that Iran is behind Hamas and its attacks on Israel and to portray Hamas as a legitimate resistance movement. 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. Moreover, for more details read an article by yaseenizeddeen.blogspot.com.
Claim: A video shows Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaidah thanking Iran for its support in the current conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Fact: The video is from 2014 and has been falsely linked to the recent conflict.
