Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Feb 20, 2026

Warnings on social media as 'manipulated' photos and videos about Israel-Gaza conflict go viral

Warnings on social media as 'manipulated' photos and videos about Israel-Gaza conflict go viral

Misleading videos shared by a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been viewed over 300,000 times.

As violence between Israeli and Palestinian groups worsens, misinformation relating to both sides is spreading on social media.

Twitter placed a "media manipulation" warning on a tweet by Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that was shared with his 97,000 followers.

The tweet in question featured a 28-second video that claimed to show Hamas firing rockets towards Israel during the latest round of violence - footage he said was evidence of a "war crime".

However, it has since emerged that the video in question is at least two years old.

Mr Gendelman shared the tweet with his 97,000 followers


Mr Gendelman's tweet, written in Arabic and posted on Tuesday morning, had said: "Here's more clear evidence that terrorist militia Hamas deliberately fires rockets from inside residential neighbourhoods in Gaza. This is a terrible war crime.

"A third of rockets fired at Israel fall inside Gaza killing civilians and children."

With the words "#Gaza now" written across it in red in English and Arabic, the video captures 17 rockets firing one after the other from an area next to the building the camera is recording from.

Three further rockets are then fired from slightly further away followed by another explosion in the same area.

However, reverse image searching of the clip showed it was posted on YouTube in 2018 - and the description says it was filmed in the Syrian city of Daraa. The tweet has since been deleted.

This is a screenshot of the same video on YouTube in 2018


Twitter placed a warning on Mr Gendelman's tweet before it was deleted, identifying it as "media manipulation".

The social media giant's policy states that it places this warning on content when they have reason to believe that "media or the context in which that media is presented are significantly and deceptively altered or manipulated".

This is a screenshot of the TikTok video shared on Twitter by Mr Gendelman


Mr Gendelman also shared another video - this time from TikTok.

The caption translates to: "Hamas, as usual, is trying to mislead the media and public opinion by staging fabricated plays, and now it has shown young men alive as if they were corpses, but their efforts are not convincing and the bodies are moving. We expose the lies of Hamas!"

However, a search for the TikTok account watermarked on the video shows that this clip was posted back in March.

The user's profile states that they are based in Nazareth, but there is no apparent evidence of a connection to Hamas.

The account mostly shares videos of the user riding on motorcycles and in off-road cars.

This is a screenshot of a photo shared on Facebook


Fake news is also being shared against Israel.

A controversial Kashmiri cleric shared this photo, which he says depicts a journalist crying outside al Aqsa mosque.

The mosque was where the fierce clashes between police and protesters that sparked the recent escalation took place.

The photo was shared in 2019 on the Asian Cup football tournament's Twitter page


However, the picture was taken during the Asian Cup football tournament in 2019.

Facebook has flagged the cleric's post as "false information".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
×