FACT CHECK: No, Israel Did Not Drop A Nuke On Lebanon
A post shared on X claims Israel dropped a nuke on Lebanon.
🚨BREAKING🚨:
Israel bombs Lebanon with a NUCLEAR warhead dubbed “Baby NukeNuke”, in violation of International law and nearly ALL US/Israel defense funding requirements.
The US @StateDept is monitoring & has refused to comment on the matter. pic.twitter.com/nkms2jXsfF
— Lyle 🇺🇸 (@LordNefty) September 21, 2024
Verdict: False
The video is from the destruction of a Russian ammunition depot. There is no evidence Israel has hit Lebanon with a nuclear warhead.
Fact Check:
A Western diplomat and two Israeli officials told Axios that Hezbollah asked Iran to attack Israel in the midst of the Israeli bombing campaign against the militant group.
Social media users are sharing a video of an explosion, claiming it shows a nuclear warhead dropped on Lebanon. One user wrote, “Israel bombs Lebanon with a NUCLEAR warhead dubbed ‘Baby NukeNuke’, in violation of International law and nearly ALL US/Israel defense funding requirements. The US @StateDept is monitoring & has refused to comment on the matter.”
This claim is false. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the video was posted a week before the current round of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. The video was also taken in Russia, which is not in Lebanon or Israel.
(For @GeoConfirmed) pic.twitter.com/QGnJ7o6elx
— Dominik (@99Dominik_) September 18, 2024
The video was geolocated to Toropets, Russia, which was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike on Sept. 17. The Ukrainian drone strike hit a Russian ammunition depot, according to CNN. (RELATED: No, These Videos Do Not Show Jill Biden In Two Places At Once)
There is no evidence Israel hit Lebanon with a nuclear weapon. Israel has killed over 550 people in its airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah, though those killed include children, according to Reuters.