An image shared on X claims to show the Israeli city of Ashkelon hit by Houthi drones.

The industrial city in Ashkelon is burning due to Yemeni drones.#Yemeni #Yemen #Israel #Israeli #IsraelTerroristState pic.twitter.com/My9S2n1sbL

— Current Affairs (@syedalizaidi112) October 29, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

The image is from 2021. It shows Ashkelon hit by rockets fired from Gaza, not drones from Yemen.

Fact Check:

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed it launched drones at Ashkelon on Oct. 29, according to Reuters. The Houthis have occasionally attacked Israel, along with conducting a campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, per the outlet.

Social media users are claiming to show Ashkelon burning after it was allegedly hit by Houthi drones. One user wrote, “The industrial city in Ashkelon is burning due to Yemeni drones.”

This claim is misleading. Through a reverse image search, Check Your Fact found that the image is from 2021. Though the image does show Ashkelon, it does not show the aftermath of a Yemeni drone strike. The image appears in a 2021 Washington Post article, which says it shows the aftermath of a rocket fired from Gaza.

“Smoke rises from a storage tank after it is hit by rocket fire in Ashkelon, Israel, north of the Gaza Strip, in May. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Tech/AFP/Getty Images),” reads the image description.

The image was also posted on Maxar’s Instagram page in May 2021. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Did FEMA Hire Illegal Immigrants For Hurricane Relief Efforts?)

“Satellite imagery from May 12, 2021, of southern Israel and Gaza that reveals the effects of the escalating conflict. Fire and smoke can be seen from recent rocket attacks as well as several buildings that have been demolished in Gaza. Images from left to right: Overview of southern Israel and Gaza, burning storage tanks in Ashkelon, close up of burning storage tanks in Ashkelon, building destroyed by airstrikes in Gaza City, and multi-story building destroyed by airstrikes in Gaza City,” the post reads.