FACT CHECK: Video shows World Youth Day gathering, not Palestinian victims

Claim: A video shows hundreds of Palestinians sleeping outdoors, enduring harsh conditions because of Israel’s attack.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made on X (formerly Twitter) on November 21 by Poetry (@lastvibes), a verified user with over half a million followers. As of writing, the post has gained 100,000 views, 819 shares, 1,100 likes, and 27 comments.

The same video has also been circulating on Instagram and TikTok.

The facts: The viral video was taken during World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, and is not footage from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. The original video was posted by @iamsolocatecumenos on Instagram on August 6, 2023.

“Así ha pasado la noche el millón y medio de jóvenes en #Lisboa,” the caption reads. (This is how the million and a half young people spent the night in #Lisbon.)

World Youth Day is a weeklong Catholic festival that brings together youth from around the globe. After being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 edition of the event was held from August 1 to 6 in Portugal.

Death toll: Since the conflict broke out on October 7, at least 11,078 Palestinians and over 1,200 Israelis have been killed, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. Meanwhile, around 1.6 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip.

As the conflict enters its seventh week, US mediators are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas to free hostages in Gaza in exchange for a five-day pause in their war, according to reports.

Israel-Hamas disinformation: Manipulated images and false claims related to the ongoing conflict have continued to thrive on social media, especially on X. “Verified accounts” were the source of 74% of viral disinformation on X, according to NewsGuard, a website providing tools and analysis to counter disinformation.

Rappler has debunked several false claims about the Israel-Hamas conflict:

– James Patrick Cruz/Rappler.com

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