FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Houthis Attacking Israeli Ship?
A video shared on social media purportedly shows a recent video of Houthi rebels chasing down an Israeli submarine.
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Verdict: False
The caption is inaccurate. The video dates back to 2019.
Fact Check:
Over 100 cargo ships have been rerouted to avoid the Suez Canal after Houthis attacked vessels off the coast of Yemen, according to The Guardian. The Iranian-backed group has been attacking ships in response to the Israeli invasion of Gaza since October 2023, the outlet reported..
The Instagram post shows a video of a fast-moving boat catching up to a submersible vessel. One crew member can be seen jumping from his boat onto the other and opening the hatch. The caption reads, “Israeli submarine crashing by yemeni sea embankment.” Google translated the video’s text overlay as “Free Palestine, God’s army never flinched in the face of human crimes committed by Israeli terrorists.”
The claim is inaccurate. There is no credible news report that this video is related to the current conflict in Gaza or the Houthi attacks on Israeli ships. A reverse video search by Check Your Fact found the video dates back to 2019, when The U.S. Coast Guard suspected a drug smuggling vessel in the pacific. The video’s title reads, “U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro crew interdicts suspected drug smuggling vessel.”
“U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) crew members board a self-propelled semi-submersible suspected drug smuggling vessel (SPSS) June 18, 2019, while operating in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean,” The video description reads.
CNN also reported on the incident at the time, stating the Coast Guard discovered 17,000 pounds of cocaine while seizing the vessel. (RELATED: Video Of Pakistani Air Force Is Old)
This is not the first piece of misinformation that has been shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim that a crisis actor in Gaza used a baby doll for propaganda.
