No, this viral video doesn’t show the deadly Gaza hospital missile strike

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the original video was taken in Ukraine in 2022. The original video was taken in Gaza in 2022. The article has been updated to correct that error.  

A massive blast rocked a Gaza City hospital packed with wounded and other Palestinians seeking shelter on Oct. 17, killing hundreds of people, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said. Hamas blamed an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfired by other Palestinian militants.

At least 500 people were killed, the ministry said. U.S. intelligence agencies have said that number is lower, in the 100-300 range.

After the hospital was hit, a video went viral with some claiming it showed live footage of the blast.

THE QUESTION

Does this video show the Gaza City hospital being hit on Oct. 17?

THE SOURCES

• Original videos and news reports from Aug. 6, 2022
• Google Maps
• InVid and RevEye, video forensics tools

THE ANSWER

No, this video doesn’t show a Gaza City hospital being hit on Oct. 17. The video was taken in Gaza but predates the Israel-Hamas war.

WHAT WE FOUND

The video doesn’t show a misfired missile striking a Gaza City hospital on Oct. 17, as the posts claim.

Using InVid and RevEye to conduct a reverse image search, VERIFY found this video predates the hospital strike on Oct. 17, 2023. The video dates back to at least August 2022, according to various international reports that contain a screenshot from the viral video.

At the 8-second mark in the video claiming to be of the hospital strike, a flash can be seen behind what appears to be an antenna. 

That same moment can be seen in a video published by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation on Aug. 6, 2022. 

This X post from the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post says the video shows an explosion in Gaza’s Jabalia Refugee Camp, where several civilians, including children, were killed. The rocket misfired and fell short, the post says. 

Using Google Maps, VERIFY was able to confirm the video was taken in Gaza. At the 6-second mark of the video, a large white building can be seen. VERIFY found images of the same building on Google Maps.