A video purporting to show Israel ablaze as the war with Hamas continues is spreading on social media.
But the video is not from the Middle East conflict. Instead, it shows a devastating wildfire in Argentina.
The footage has appeared across social media, including Facebook (archived here) and TikTok, examples here, here and here.
The posts’ captions are all similar, usually, they’re a variant of “Israel live now omg” or “Israel live today”.
The sound of screams, gunfire and rockets firing have been added to the video footage.
But the footage is not from the current conflict, nor is it from the Middle East.
A reverse image search of keyframes reveals a large section of the footage was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by Nahel Belgherze.
He described the footage as showing a wildfire in the Argentine city of Villa Carlos Paz.
Belgherze in turn credits the video to Fede Krypner, an amateur photographer and drone pilot from the city. Krypner posted the same video on Instagram on October 11, 2023.
“Knot in the throat. I hope this ends urgently,” the caption says.
Krypner also tagged a number of Argentine weather and news accounts including Incendios Cordoba, which posts wildfire information in the province, Argentine TV meteorologist Jose Bianco, and local Cordoba TV station El Doce TV’s weather correspondent Sofia Garone.
His two previous Instagram posts also feature videos of the fires (see here and here).
Krypner’s video has been used by The Washington Post, which reported on the wildfires on October 11.
Other sections of the footage used in the supposed videos of Israel are from different sources but also depict the Argentine wildfire, examples here and here.
The city’s skyline in the videos can also be matched with photographs on the internet of Villa Carlos Paz.
The distinctive tower at the 1minute 10second mark can be seen in this image of the Argentine city.
Around 600 people were forced to evacuate Villa Carlos Paz in response to the fire last month. Almost 1,000 firefighters battled the blaze and a 27-year-old has been accused of starting the fire.
The Verdict
The claim that a video shows Israel ablaze during the current war with Hamas is false.
The video is actually of the recent wildfire in Argentina.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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