AAP FACTCHECK – False claims that a video of conflict in the streets of Beirut depicts the Lebanese army beating back Hezbollah supporters from taking over people’s homes are spreading on social media.
The footage actually shows protests over the eviction of people displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war from an abandoned hotel.
The claim appears in posts on X and Facebook featuring a video of crowds jostling with men in military uniform outside a building with an English sign saying: “Hamra Star”.
“The Lebanese Army is beating back Hezbollah supporters who tried to storm homes in Beirut that don’t belong to them,” the X post caption said.
The Facebook post said: “The Lebanese army is attacking Hezbollah thugs displaced from the southern suburbs after they insisted on storming the homes of residents and moving to them.”
However, local and international news outlets reported that the scuffles were over the eviction of displaced people from an abandoned hotel.
AAP FactCheck has geolocated the Hamra Star building seen in the videos to Rue Hamra in Beirut using Google Maps and Streetview.
English language media outlet This is Beirut posted a video on Instagram of the protest, saying it was against the eviction of displaced people from the Hamra Star building.
“A protest took place on Monday in front of the Hamra Star building in Beirut as security forces attempted to evict displaced families who had taken refuge there,” the caption said.
The Associated Press posted a video of the scuffles from a different angle, describing it as a protest over people being evicted from an abandoned building.
“Lebanese police stormed an abandoned building in Beirut on Monday to evict hundreds displaced by Israel’s war on Hezbollah, who have been squatting there for weeks,” the caption said.
The Hamra Star Hotel seen in the video has been abandoned for years, Al Jazeera reported.
Egypt-based publication Mada described it as a demonstration over evictions at the “abandoned Hamra building”.
People had been sheltering in the old hotel before the owner filed a court order for the building to be vacated, according to Al Jazeera.
Lebanon’s government estimates some 1.2 million people have been displaced by Israel’s military campaign.
AAP FactCheck has been unable to verify the political affiliation of the people evicted from the Hamra Star building.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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