Original article (in B/C/S) was published on 01/11/2023; Author: Marija Manojlović
The video titled “Landing of Marines in Israel” does not actually depict the arrival of American soldiers in Israel. Despite being shared in the context of the escalating violence in Israel and Gaza, the video is over a year old and was filmed in Romania.
On October 27, 2023, a video surfaced on Facebook showing uniformed soldiers disembarking from a plane. The accompanying description suggests that it portrays the landing of US Marines in Israel amid the heightened tensions.
Thousands of US Air Force Marines have landed in Israel.
The video is published by Israeli TG channels.
They also report that France is sending a Tonnerre helicopter to Israel, capable of carrying dozens of helicopters and hundreds of marines.
Great Britain, Germany and Australia are also sending their military troops to the region, warships, special forces, military aircraft and more.
Another Facebook user shared the same video with a similar misleading description, accumulating close to 100 shares.
What are the facts?
The video gained traction beyond Southeast Europe, and claims of it showing the landing of US Marines in Israel were debunked by reputable foreign fact-checking platforms such as AP, Reuters, Misbar, India Today, Snopes and The quint.
Contrary to the assertions linking the video to current events in Gaza, it is, in fact, over a year old and captures the arrival of members of the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army in Romania. The footage, composed of several frames from a longer video released in June 2022, was published by the Defense Visual Information Dissemination Service station of the US Department of Defense (archived). The description of the video on the website of the Service for the Distribution of Visual Information in the Defense Sector states that the video was recorded on June 27 in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, and published a day later.
Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) arrive in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, on June 28, 2022.
The 101st supports V Corps’ mission to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank and participate in multinational exercises with partners across the European continent to embolden America’s allies and discourage the spread of Russian aggression.
In certain English publications analyzed by foreign fact-checking platforms, the video footage was even horizontally flipped.
An analysis published by AP on October 27 reported that immediately following the Hamas attack, the United States mobilized warships and planes to the region. Three ships carrying thousands of Marines and military advisers were dispatched in the ensuing days.
The Pentagon said last week it sent the USS Bataan amphibious ready group, which consists of three ships carrying thousands of Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The ships carry helicopters and assault craft that can insert Marines into hostile territory or provide medical care or other assistance.
This week, the Pentagon sent military advisors, including Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, to Israel to aid in its war planning.
This agency states that the US Army and a spokesman for the US Marines refused to comment on the deployment of forces in the region.
According to an analysis by Reuters from October 27, about 900 more US troops are going to the Middle East to strengthen air defences for US personnel. The US Department of Defense did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Therefore, we assess the first publication of the claim that the video shows the landing of American marines in Israel as fake news. Other posts are rated as the distribution of fake news.