A video shared on Facebook purports to show “crisis actors” faking injuries amid Israel’s recent offensive in Rafah.

Verdict: False

The claim is false. The original video shows a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a teledrama called “Bleeding Dust,” according to YouTube and Al Mayadeen respectively.

Fact Check:

Amid Israel’s offensive in Rafah, 360,000 Palestinians have fled the area, according to The Associated Press, which cited the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. Another 100,000 Palestinians have been “displaced in northern Gaza following evacuation orders there,” the outlet reported.

“Rafah actors are preparing, and we may soon witness disturbing footage from Rafah,” the video’s caption reads, listing “Gazawood” as the source of the footage. In the video, actors lying in body bags have makeup applied to help them feign injuries. Text overlay on the video features the phrase, “Make-up Gaza Style.”

The claim is false, however. The video was originally shared on YouTube by director Bashar Al-Najjar as a short clip showing the same actors having their makeup applied. A translation of the video’s caption indicates the clip shows a behind-the-scenes look at a project called “Bleeding Dust.”

A keyword search generates a Spanish-language article from Al Mayadeen, who reported “Bleeding Dust” is a teledrama presented during Ramadan that highlights six Palestinian prisoners who “circumvented the strict security system of the Israeli Gilboa prison in September 2021.” (RELATED: Post Claims To Show Khamenei’s Granddaughter In Dress)

Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the Facebook video referenced in any credible news reports about Israel’s recent offensive in Rafah. In fact, the opposite is true. Reuters also reported the video shows a behind-the-scenes look at the teledrama via a May 14 article. The outlet cited a piece from the Middle East Monitor, which indicated the project is “set in the post-Oslo convention era” and “addresses the daily challenges, injustices and human rights violations facing Palestinians under the brutal Zionist occupation.”

In addition, although the Facebook video was also shared to the platform by a page named “Gazawood,” the term “Gazawood” along with “Pallywood” is used to cast doubt on the suffering of Palestinians amid the current Israel-Hamas War and accuse them of “faking deaths and injuries,” according to Misbar.

This is not the first time a false claim has circulated online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a social media video purporting to show a pro-Palestine protest in Paris.