Viral image
Viral image
stated on October 27, 2023 in an Instagram post:

Video shows Palestinians pretending to be corpses amid the Israel-Hamas war.

False

Old video mischaracterized as showing Palestinians pretending to be dead

If your time is short

  • This video is 10 years old and shows student protesters in Egypt, not Palestinians pretending to be dead amid the Israel-Hamas war.
See the sources for this fact-check

The Gaza Health Ministry has said the Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war is more than 8,000. But some social media posts are suggesting this number is inflated and are pointing to a video of supposed dead bodies moving as evidence. 

“Wake up world,” text above the video reads. “They think you are fools! The masters of fake news welcome the Palestinians & their Hamas.” 

“7000 my a–,” said one Instagram post sharing the video and apparently referring to a previously reported Palestinian death toll. 

This post among others was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

This video has been online for a decade. An Egypt-based news outlet posted it on YouTube in October 2013. A Google translation of the Arabic caption says that it shows students at Al-Azhar University in Cairo participating in a demonstration. 

“The students chanted slogans against the army and the police,” the translated caption said. 

We rate claims that this video shows Palestinians pretending to be casualties of the current Israel-Hamas war False.

 
Our Sources

Instagram post, Oct. 27, 2023

Instagram post, Oct. 27, 2023

YouTube, عرض تمثيلي بالجثامين داخل جامعة الازهر, Oct. 28, 2013

Old video mischaracterized as showing Palestinians pretending to be dead

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on January 7, 2026 a press briefing

stated on January 14, 2026 a statement

Social Media
stated on February 14, 2026 social media posts



stated on January 20, 2026 an op-ed


Donald Trump
stated on February 3, 2026 remarks in the Oval Office


Social Media
stated on February 8, 2026 social media posts





Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
stated on stated on November 17, 2025 in remarks at George Washington University:

Donald Trump
stated on February 2, 2026 an interview with Dan Bongino