Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
After the Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip, a little boy cries for his sister.
Fact
The video is at least nine years old and is from Syria, and has no connection with the recent Israel-Palestine Conflict.
Numerous false claims and old videos have gone viral on various social media in the wake of the Israel-Palestine Conflict. One such video, showing a a child crying and lamenting in Arabic, is going viral on social media. The subtitles of the video in English reads “My sisters have died, oh my sister!” The video is being widely shared on X and Facebook and users claim that it shows the devastating situation in the Gaza Strip after the full-scale retaliation by Israel. The post can be viewed by clicking here. | Archive Link
This video has been shared by several users including verified accounts on X with the same claim. They can be viewed by clicking here, here and here.
Several Facebook users have also shared the video with similar claims. The post can be viewed here & here.
Fact Check/Verification
In order to ascertain the fact of the viral video, we conducted a Yandex reverse image search. During this process, we came across several YouTube links which carried the viral video. One such video link in an Arabic language published on February 14, 2014, revealed that the video was from the city of Masaken Hanano is a district in Aleppo, Syria. The description of the video reads – هام للإعلام طفل يبكي اخوانه الذين قضو بقصف الطيران المروحي بمدينة مساكن هنانو (In English – A child cries for his brothers who were killed in a helicopter bombing in the city of Masaken Hanano is a district in Aleppo, Syria.)
Since 2014, several YouTube channels have been sharing and publishing this video. The videos can be viewed by clicking here, here & here.
We see this same video in a CNN report titled “Children suffer Syrian barrel bomb attacks.”
We spotted a watermark on the video, that said ‘AMC’. Based on our search, we found that the Aleppo Media Center (AMC), formed in 2013 by citizen journalists, covers a diverse range of events in Aleppo, predating the Syrian conflict. Notably, it’s contributed to impactful documentaries like “The White Helmets” and “The Last Men in Aleppo” and offers comprehensive coverage of both local and broader subjects.
Continuing our verification, we again conducted a Yandex Image search which lead us to multiple news reports, including one from the International Business Times UK, which carried a frame from the viral video. The caption read “14 February: A man holds a baby saved from under rubble after an airstrike by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Masaken Hanano in Aleppo (HOSAM KATAN/REUTERS)”
We checked the REUTERS website and found an image matching the keyframes of the viral video. The photo was uploaded with the same caption as seen in the International Business Times report. Click here to view the photo.
Another detailed report by Voice of America (VOA) on February 15, 2014 also carried the same image.
Conclusion
Thus, our investigation reveals that the viral video is not recent and is at least 9 years old, and has been available on the internet since 2014. The video is related to an air strike by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Government in Masaken Hanano in Alepp, and not related to the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Result: False
Our Sources:
1. Youtube post published by aleppomediacenter, dated February 14, 2014
2. Youtube post published by قناة اطفال الحرية, dated October 19, 2014
3. Report published byInternational Business Times UK, dated 30 Dec, 2014
4. Report published by REUTERS, dated February 14, 2014
5. Report published by Voice of America (VOA), dated February 15, 2014
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Authors
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
