FACT CHECK: Contrary To Claim, TikTok Video Does Not Show Palestinians Sleeping In The Street

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on TikTok purports to show Palestinians sleeping in the street after their homes were demolished amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

@ahmedmed914♬ son original – A.M.H

Verdict: False

The video, originally shared on YouTube in August 2023, shows over a million young people gathered in Lisbon, Portugal for the annual Catholic event World Youth Day 2023.

Fact Check:

Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to extend their truce in Gaza by two additional days, Qatar said, according to CNN. The extension is set to go into effect after more hostages are released on Monday, the outlet reported.

The TikTok video purports to show Palestinians sleeping in the street after their homes were demolished. In the video, a large crowd of people piled into sleeping bags can be seen lying on the ground as someone can be heard sobbing off-camera.

The video is not linked to the current Israel-Hamas conflict and does not show Palestinians sleeping in the street, however. The video, originally shared on YouTube in August 2023, shows over a million young people gathered in Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day 2023.

“This is how the million and a half young people spent the night in #Lisbon,” a translation of the video’s caption reads. The caption also uses multiple hashtags, including “#worldyouthday2023” and “#popefrancis.”

Likewise, a photo published via Getty Images shows a similar scene to that of the video. “Pilgrims rest ahead of a holy mass led by Pope Francis on the last day of World Youth Day (WYD) at Parque Tejo on August 6, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal,” the photo’s caption reads in part. A young woman in a dark blue sleeping bag can be seen in both the YouTube video and the photo from Getty Images.

According to the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) website, World Youth Day is an annual event where young people gather in “prayer, worship, and celebration of the Catholic faith.” The event was instituted on an annual basis in December 1985 by St. John Paul II following two previously successful gatherings of young people in Rome in 1984 and 1985, also according to the website.

World Youth Day 2023 took place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 6 in Lisbon and featured a visit from Pope Francis, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Portugal indicated.

In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports indicating Palestinians were sleeping in the street after their homes had been demolished amid the current Israel-Hamas conflict. (RELATED: Video Does Not Show Clips From The Israel-Hamas War)

Check Your Fact has contacted the USCCB for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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