Videos of Beirut buildings in flames went viral as Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, but not all of the footage is what it seems.
“Beirut last night,” a user captioned an Oct. 6 Instagram video showing several buildings engulfed in flames. But the clip was generated using artificial intelligence.
Screenshot from Instagram
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The video was first shared Sept. 30 on the TikTok account of a creator with a bio that says, “Unusual AI Artist.” The original video includes an AI-generated label.
The TikTok creator told PolitiFact via direct message that all the videos on their account are generated using artificial intelligence.
Although the video was AI-generated, authentic footage from CNN, Reuters and The New York Times shows Oct. 6 Israeli air strikes causing fires in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, shared a clip on X of the video and later deleted it. A spokesperson from the group told CBS News, “This therefore appears to be one of those unusual instances in which the mistaken use of AI footage didn’t change anything substantively about the point being made: buildings in Beirut are burning under an indiscriminate Israeli bombing campaign.”
We rate the claim that a video shows Oct. 6, 2024, fires in Beirut caused by Israeli airstrikes False.
Truth-o-meter Ruling
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This footage was first shared Sept. 30 in a TikTok video that included an artificial intelligence-generated label.
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The user who first posted the video has a TikTok bio that says "AI artist" and the person told PolitiFact this and all of the videos on the account are generated with AI.
Statement
Context
Instagram postsSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Instagram video (archived), Oct. 6, 2024
TikTok account, accessed Oct. 7, 2024
TikTok post, Sept. 30, 2024
TikTok direct message interaction, @digital.n0mad, Oct. 7, 2024
CBS News, AI-generated video purportedly showing fiery aftermath of Israeli airstrike on Beirut goes viral, Oct. 7, 2024
The Washington Post, Strikes continue on two fronts on anniversary of Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Oct. 7, 2024
NBC News, Live updates: Israel marks Oct. 7 anniversary, issues major evacuation warnings for Lebanon and Gaza, Oct. 7, 2024
CNN, Fire and smoke in sky over Beirut after new Israeli airstrike, Oct. 6, 2024
Reuters, Israel bombs Lebanon, Gaza ahead of one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 attacks, Oct. 6, 2024
The New York Times, On Eve of Oct. 7 Anniversary, Israel strikes Gaza and Lebanon, Oct. 6, 2024