Video from Malaysia shared as Palestinians faking deaths amid Israel-Gaza conflict

(Editor's Note: This story was first published on November 7, 2023, and has been republished from Logically Facts' archives in light of this video resurfacing as footage from Rafah amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.)

What's the claim?

Multiple posts on TikTok, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn shared a video of people wrapped in white cloth lying on the floor of a room, with the claim that Palestinians are faking deaths amid the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023. While several bodies can be seen on the floor as other men stand around, one of the "bodies" in the video can be seen opening its eyes. 

Among those sharing the claim on X was Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi leader Naveen Kumar Jindal. Archive links of such posts can be accessed here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Social media users claiming that Palestinians are faking deaths (Source: Facebook, X/@naveenjindalbjp/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, we found that this video dates back to before the beginning of the conflict.

What's the truth?

Using a reverse image search, we found that the video was posted on TikTok by an account @metjetak17 on August 19, 2023, with a caption in Malay. This proves that the footage predated the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict that began on October 7. A hashtag in the video's caption mentions Malaysia, indicating the possible location of the video. 

The video was also shared by a Malaysian radio station called Zayan on Instagram on October 28, 2023, with a humorous caption.

The same video was posted on TikTok and Instagram (Source: TikTok, Instagram)

Several users on X claimed that the video shows a Janazah (funeral) management course frequently held in mosques.

(Source: X)

Visual cues

In the viral video, a person can be seen wearing a headset microphone. A projector and a laptop can also be seen in the background. This indicates that the video shows not staged deaths but a training session.

A microphone and the projector are visible in the video (Source: TikTok)

We found a video of a funeral management course posted on YouTube by a Malaysian channel, where living people were also wrapped in white sheets. An instructor with a microphone can be seen explaining the funeral process using the help of volunteers, who are covered by white sheets as they lie down, as seen in the viral video.

Video of funeral training course. (Source: YouTube) 

Malay websites like Jawi and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have reported about such courses being held in mosques and described the process. 

Locating the video

APF France found a video on TikTok posted on August 20, 2023, showing a person wearing the same pink shirt as seen in the viral video. Similar rectangular windows with valances can also be seen in the background in both the videos.

Similarities in the two TikTok videos. (Source: TikTok/Modified by Logically Facts)

The caption of this video also mentions, “IKM Tan Sri Yahaya Ahmad, Pekan (sic),” an institute in Malaysia which has a a mosque. We could also locate it on Google Maps.

Photos of the mosque on a Facebook page linked to the institute show that the interior design, including the windows and the floor, matched the visuals in the viral video.

Similarities in the viral video and the Facebook image. (Source: TikTok/Facebook)

 AFP also noted that the institute has held such Islamic funeral preparation courses in the past. 

The verdict

The viral video was posted before the current Israel-Gaza conflict and shows a funeral management course in Malaysia. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.

(Update: This story has been updated with additional details confirming that the video was taken during a funeral management course held at a mosque in Malaysia’s Pekan town.)