Old video from Ukraine passed off as Hezbollah attack on Israel

What's the claim?

A video of an aerial attack featuring massive explosions is being widely shared on social media, claiming that it depicts a recent Hezbollah attack on Israel on August 12, 2024. An X (formerly Twitter) user posted the clip with a caption in Arabic, which translates to, "Israel's nightmare now, Nahariya is under bombardment, and the Iron Dome is failing." Archived versions of such posts are here and here.

The clip has also gained traction on Facebook, where it has a similar narrative. Archived versions of the posts are here and here.

Screenshots of claims made online. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)` 

Contrary to the claims, the video does not display a Hezbollah attack on Israel. It's an old clip originating from Ukraine.

What we found

Logically Facts conducted a reverse image search using various keyframes from the viral video and discovered an identical clip on YouTube, posted by The Telegraph (archived here) on August 30, 2023. The video was titled "Moment Ukraine 'shoots down' Russian missiles and drones launched overnight." The footage depicted Russia's aerial attack on Kyiv, Ukraine. A Ukrainian armed forces official said the country's air defenses successfully intercepted the Russian missiles and drones launched at Kyiv in the early hours of August 30, 2023.

Screenshot of the Telegraph video (Source: YouTube)

On August 30, 2023, DW News, a German media network, published the same video. The report highlighted the overnight onslaught of Russian missiles and drones on Kyiv that had killed at least two people in the capital. Debris from intercepted targets fell on various buildings during what officials labeled as the strongest aerial assault on the Ukrainian capital in several months.

Hezbollah and Nahariya

On August 12, 2024, according to Al Mayadeen, Lebanese Hezbollah reportedly launched dozens of missiles at northern Israel, with approximately 30 projectiles landing in open areas near Nahariya. This attack occurred amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. As a result, warning sirens were activated in several locations across northern Israel, and officials confirmed no casualties as of August 12, 2024.

The verdict

A one-year-old video of the Russian attack on Kyiv is being shared as a recent Hezbollah attack on Israel.