From Gaza to New Jersey: The Truth Behind the “Tel Aviv Strikes” and Netanyahu’s “Burning House”

As the Iran–Israel war entered its tenth day, viral videos on social media claimed to show Iranian missile strikes hitting Tel Aviv and a fire at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence. However, an investigation by Offbeat Concerns found that the circulating visuals predate the ongoing conflict and are unrelated to the recent escalation, highlighting how misleading content continues to spread online during times of war.

On March 9, Iran’s war entered its tenth day, and Iran officially chose Mojtaba Khamenei, son of former leader Ali Khamenei, as its next leader. Meanwhile, oil depots in Tehran and Karaj were also targeted in an overnight strike. Several reports also point to Iran’s missiles hitting the Israeli Leaders’ Underground Shelter In Tel Aviv.

Amid these developments, the propagation of unrelated visuals hasn’t ceased. In this report, Offbeat Concerns explores two such viral visuals that predate the recent tension in the Southwest Asia but are falsely linked to it.

Video shows Iran’s attack on Tel Aviv?

On March 9, an X (formerly Twitter) user Gerhardt vd Merwe shared a video that depicts a nighttime explosion. The caption alleges that the visual shows the recent Iranian missile attack on Tel Aviv.

He also urged netizens to follow him for more stories that the mainstream Western media is hiding. As of March 9, the post garnered 15,00,000 views, 48,000 likes, and 10,000 reposts.

Responding to the post, a user remarked, “Looks like Israel’s ‘Iron Dome’ just turned into an ‘Iron Fail” – Tel Aviv blacked out faster than Netanyahu can say ‘ceasefire? Never!’ Meanwhile, Iran’s serving up flames hotter than their chai. Who’s got the real power now? Drop your side below, let’s debate!” On the other hand, many users stated that the post was propaganda.

We identified that an X user initially shared the visual recently on March 8.

As of March 9, the post received 3,08,500 views, 9,900 likes, and 1,600 reposts.

A user replied, “Dear #Iran, can you please use your night vision cameras to ensure that animals, insects, trees & things of that high level of public importance are not harmed. The rest you can annihilate.”

OBC performed a reverse image search and found that the same video surfaced online on October 9, 2023, through an Israeli YouTube channel, Israel Hayom, and the description of the video states that it shows the Israeli attack on Rimal, Gaza, during the Israel-Palestine conflict.

A keyframe comparison confirmed that netizens recycled an old video of Israel attacking Gaza and propagated it as visuals from Iran’s attack on Tel Aviv.

Video shows Benjamin Netanyahu’s house on fire?

On March 9, an X account, Iran TV, shared a video featuring a mansion engulfed in flames. The caption indicates that the visual shows Benjamin Netanyahu’s house on fire following Iran’s missile attack on Israel.

As of March 9, the post received 4,16,300 views, 26,000 likes, and 7,300 reposts.

Responding to the post, a user replied, “Iran is working 24/7. Iran knows how to deliver. We Indians stand with Iran.” Meanwhile, a few users tagged Grok to verify the information depicted in the post.

The keyframe analysis of the viral video revealed that it depicts a fire accident that occurred on February 9, at Park Place, Galloway, New Jersey. United States. The Facebook user hcbphotography, which identifies itself as the photographer for the Atlantic County Firefighters’ Association, posted the video on February 9.

The analysis shows how unrelated footage continues to do rounds on social media as visuals from the recent US-Israel-Iran war.