Does a video of workers applying makeup and appearing to help a young girl on a stretcher show Palestinians staging fake injuries in the midst of the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict? No, that's not true: The video depicts behind-the-scenes footage of a Lebanese short film called "The Reality," according to the film's director. He posted a fact check as well as the film online.
The claim appeared on X, formerly Twitter, on November 9, 2023. The post (archived here) was made by Ofir Gendelman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Arab media spokesman. It included the video and a caption that read:
The Palestinians are fooling the international media and public opinion. DON'T FALL FOR IT. See for yourselves how they fake injuries and evacuating 'injured' civilians, all in front of thr cameras. Pallywood gets busted again.
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
Mahmoud Ramzi, the film's director, responded to the claim on Instagram, where he posted the short film as well as a fact check that explained the video was not an attempt to fake injuries. Ramzi's film, "The Reality," can be watched below:
Gendelman, the Israeli spokesman, subsequently tweeted that he posted the footage because "Palestinian accounts have published this video as if it was genuine." At the time of writing, his original tweet was still available, with no caveats or explanations. You can see his follow-up post below:
Palestinian accounts have published this video as if it was genuine. That's why it was posted here. https://t.co/1ke42oRNhm
-- Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) November 9, 2023
Other Lead Stories fact checks involving the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict can be read here.
