An image shared on X claims to show a celebration in Beirut, Lebanon, following the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Verdict: False
The claim is false, as the image shows a January 2024 explosion in Lebanon that killed Hamas leader Saleh al-Aruri.
Fact Check:
Video published by the Israeli military indicates 2,000-pound bombs were likely used in the attack that killed Nasrallah, according to The New York Times. At least 15 2,000-pound bombs can be seen fitted to eight planes in the video, the outlet reported, citing munitions experts.
The X image, viewed over 800 times as of writing, claims to show a celebration in Beirut following the death of Nasrallah. “NBC: Popular celebrations in the streets of Beirut after news of the killing of Hassan Nasrallah,” the image’s caption reads. The image shows a large crowd gathered outside of a tall building at night.
The claim is false. Check Your Fact conducted a reverse image search and found the image featured in a January 2024 article from the German-language publication Luxemburger Wort. The image, originally captured by the AFP, shows an explosion in front of a Hamas office in Beirut, according to the same article. Hamas leader al-Aruri is said to have died as a result of the explosion.
“The explosion occurred in front of a Hamas office and, according to police sources, in a southern district of Beirut where Hezbollah has a strong presence,” the image’s caption reads. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Lebanese Citizens Celebrating Nasrallah’s Death?)
Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the X image shared in any recent credible news reports about the death of Nasrallah. In fact, the opposite is true. On Sept. 29, Misbar debunked the claim, tracing the image’s original source to Getty Images. The outlet also reported the image showed the January 2024 explosion in Beirut that killed al-Aruri.
Nasrallah was killed following a recent “bombing campaign” carried out by Israel in Lebanon, according to the New York Post. Nasrallah, who was hiding in a bunker at the time of the attack, may have suffocated due to toxic gases, the outlet reported.
Nasrallah, 64, led Hezbollah for the “past three decades,” according to The Associated Press.