WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Videos show war footage from the Middle East.
OUR VERDICT
False. The videos are unrelated to the conflict.
AAP FACTCHECK - Several videos purporting to show footage from the war in the Middle East are, in fact, unrelated clips or AI-generated content.
The posts have been shared by the Sydney-based Instagram account NewsToTrust, which has circulated material relating to the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran.
One video shows several vehicles burning in a car park before the person filming turns and enters a building through two sets of glass doors.
The logo of US fast food chain Dunkin' Donuts is visible on the door (timestamp 30 seconds).
"New footage circulating online appears to show the aftermath of missile impacts near Tel Aviv," the post's caption reads.
Overlay text on the Instagram video reads: "Israel 14th March".
But a Google Images search of stills from the video reveals it wasn't filmed in Israel; it was shot in the US city of Philadelphia in January 2025 and shows the aftermath of a plane crash. A YouTube video splicing clips of the accident includes part of the video (timestamp 30 seconds) that was miscaptioned on Instagram.
The plane crashed near Philadelphia's Roosevelt Mall, according to NBC, where a Dunkin' Donuts is located.
A distinct red building seen in the misattributed Instagram video (timestamp four seconds) can also be seen opposite the Dunkin' Donuts in Philadelphia on Google Maps.
The red building is opposite a car park and a Dunkin' Donuts store with entrance doors that match those seen in the Instagram clip (timestamp 32 seconds).
The US doughnut chain hasn't operated in Israel since 2001, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Another video posted by NewsToTrust shows a group of people running across a steep, grassy hillside.
"Scenes are emerging of Israeli civilians running into the hills to escape ongoing airstrikes," the post reads.
"Panic and chaos have spread as sirens wail across multiple regions."
The overlay text reads "Israel right now" and includes a time and date of 7.45pm on March 10, 2026.
But a Google Images search using a still from the clip shows it predates the 2026 war and isn't from Israel.
The video was posted on Facebook on May 29, 2025, by a Nepal-based user with a Nepali language caption.
The caption reads "People collecting Yarcha Gumba" according to Google Translate.
Yarchagumba, also known as caterpillar fungus, is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The Facebook video is credited to an account called "nedoyatri" that posted it on TikTok on May 30, 2025 during the Yarchagumba picking season.
The TikTok post has a label that reads "Creator labelled as AI-generated".
However, an AFP Fact Check on the video found the footage authentic after the user who first posted the clip said it was genuine and shared its location with them.
Another NewsToTrust clip shows a crowd pushing each other in a tightly crammed room with the overlay text: "SHELTERS IN ISRAEL ARE GETTING FULL".
"Inside the bunker, the air is thick with silence, fear, and waiting," the post's caption reads.
"This isn't a drill. This isn't a movie. For many in Israel, this is daily life."
A reverse image search reveals the video shows a scuffle at a court in Tbilisi, Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region, in June 2025.
The clip was posted on X by a Georgia-based user on June 12, 2025, predating the 2026 Middle East war.
False claims linking the same Georgia courtroom footage to the Twelve-Day War between Israel and Iran in June 2025 were previously debunked by FullFact.
The account has also posted what it claims to be footage of the sinking of the Iranian frigate Iris Dena.
The footage, which shows a torpedo striking the front of the ship, is inconsistent with authentic footage of the sinking, where the impact occurs toward the rear of the vessel.
AAP FactCheck has debunked social media claims about missiles striking Israel, attacks on Iran and damage to buildings in the UAE.
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