FACT CHECK: Does Viral Tweet Show Recent Hamas Attack on Israeli Tank Unit?
A viral tweet claims that Hamas fighters successfully ambushed an Israeli tank unit near Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, destroying multiple vehicles and injuring or killing their crews.
🔻🇵🇸 HAMAS fighters successfully AMBUSHED a ZIONIST tank unit:
“Our fighters observed the arrival of a zionist tank, an armored personnel carrier, and two D9 military bulldozers, loaded with several cubes of highly destructive explosive materials, into the ambush zone.
Our… pic.twitter.com/wkn60OBA2z
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) October 25, 2024
Verdict: Misleading
The image used to illustrate this attack is outdated and does not depict a recent incident. This type of content risks spreading misinformation in the context of an ongoing conflict.
Fact Check:
Iran is preparing to strike Israeli target from Iraqi territory, according to the Jerusalem Post. The plans are in response to attacks by Israel on Iranian soil, marking an escalation in the conflict, the outlet reported.
The image accompanying this tweet is not recent. It originates from October 7, 2023, and has been repurposed to support claims of recent attacks. The specific details of the alleged ambush, including the use of bulldozers and explosives, have not been confirmed by credible sources. Independent military analysts and organizations tracking the conflict have not corroborated the incident or reported similar activity matching this description in recent days.
Furthermore, while it is possible for older images to resurface in military contexts, this image has been previously used in unrelated posts, weakening the tweet’s credibility. Notably, accounts such as @sentdefender, @ozraeliavi, and @Global_Mil_Info, highlight that the accompanying photo lacks context and should not be used as evidence of the tweet’s claims, or at least confirm that the photos are not new.
This instance highlights the frequent repurposing of older images to depict recent or ongoing events in high-conflict areas, which can contribute to misinterpretations and public confusion. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show Hezbollah In 2024)
This is not the first time Check Your Fact has debunked false information about the Israeli-Hamas conflict.