Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, a viral claim (here, here and here) alleges that an Israeli helicopter was shot down in Al-Khiyam, a town near the Israeli-Lebanese border known for its strategic importance and history of conflict while transporting dead and wounded soldiers. The claim is accompanied by a photo of a helicopter releasing flares. Let’s verify the truth behind this claim.
Claim: A photo of a helicopter shot down in a recent attack of Hezbollah on Israel in Al-Khiyam while transporting dead and wounded soldiers.
Fact: The viral photo is from 2019, showing a Hamas attack on an Israeli helicopter. It has nothing to do with the current 2024 conflict. Therefore, the claim is Misleading.
To verify this claim, we conducted a reverse image search on Google. The results led us to an older post-dated 25 March 2019, by the “Palestine Information Centre.” The post, along with other photos, referred to the photo as part of an incident where Gaza was under bombardment.
Further research on the photo led us to several reports (here and here). According to The Times of Israel, on 20 May 2019, Hamas radio reported that Israeli bombing destroyed the office of leader Ismail Haniya in Gaza. The terror group claimed that an attempt to down an Israeli helicopter was a response to the bombing of civilian buildings and the killing of civilians. As per reports, although Israeli Air Force helicopters are equipped with anti-missile systems, incidents like the downing of a Yas’ur transport helicopter by Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War in 2006 have demonstrated vulnerabilities in these defences.
According to Al Jazeera, on 25 March 2019, during the reported strikes and counterattacks, Hamas and other groups attempted to retaliate against Israeli forces, including efforts to target helicopters. Israeli Air Force helicopters, equipped with advanced anti-missile systems, have occasionally faced such attacks during escalations, including an attempt by Hamas to down a helicopter in response to bombardments targeting civilian structures.
There are no recent reports of Israeli helicopters being shot down by Hezbollah. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have acknowledged clashes in southern Lebanon, including rocket fire that damaged a post and injured UNIFIL soldiers. According to Reuters, Hezbollah launched rocket barrages at Israel on 24 November 2024 after Israel conducted airstrikes in Beirut, killing at least 29 people. Despite ongoing tensions, there are no reports of an Israeli helicopter being downed.
To sum up, an old 2019 photo of Hamas’s attack on an Israeli helicopter is shared as a Hezbollah attack on Israel.
