A video shared on Facebook purports to show a South African ambassador arguing with an Israeli soldier amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

Verdict: False

The video, which is from 2021, predates the current conflict and shows South African diplomat Lesiba Machaba confronting an Israeli soldier.

Fact Check:

A recent report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found that 40-45% of the air-to-ground munitions Israel has used in its current conflict with Hamas have been unguided or “dumb bombs,” according to CNN. Unguided munitions “are typically less precise and can pose a greater threat to civilians,” the outlet reported.

The Facebook video purports to show a South African ambassador arguing with an Israeli soldier amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict. In the video, the Israeli soldier asks the ambassador to leave while the ambassador questions why the soldier is preventing people from picking olives. The video also circulated on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, where it was viewed over 40,000 times.

The clip is not related to the current Israel-Hamas conflict, however. The video was shared on YouTube in 2021 by the Turkish public broadcast service TRT World Now and shows Machaba, a South African diplomat, not an ambassador, confronting an Israeli soldier.

“‘This guy is carrying a bucket, you are carrying a gun.’ South African diplomat Lesiba Machaba confronts an Israeli soldier who attempts to prevent Palestinian farmers from harvesting olives in occupied West Bank,” the video’s description reads.

The South African also published an article about the incident in 2021 and identified Machaba as a diplomat rather than an ambassador.

Likewise, Check Your Fact has not found the Facebook video referenced in any recent credible news reports about the current Israel-Hamas conflict. In addition, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: Does Video Show Two Palestinian Journalists Celebrating Missile Launching In Gaza?)

Check Your Fact has contacted South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.