In the midst of the continuing Israel-Palestine conflict, a video depicting soldiers parading with army helicopters and weapons is circulating, linking the visuals to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. The video is being claimed to be displaying Palestinian artillery. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Visuals of Palestinian soldiers parading and displaying their artillery during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Fact: The visuals show Mexican army parade, showcasing their artillery during the Independence Day. Further, there are no reports of Mexico providing any military support to Palestine or Hamas. Regarding the ongoing conflict, the Mexican government issued a statement condemning attacks against civilians. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
The viral footage depicts a military parade showcasing artillery. However, it is not the Palestinian military or Hamas; rather, it is the Mexican army. The visuals clearly display ‘Reserva Estrategica Santa Lucia’ on one of the vehicles.
Taking a cue from this, we conducted an online search using specific keywords. This search revealed that the Santa Lucía Strategic Reserve is a military unit established to defend the central region of Mexico. Further search led us to a news report that aired the military parade of the Mexican army on Mexican Independence Day, celebrated on 16 September 2023.
During this parade, the Mexican army showcased the same artillery as seen in the viral video. By comparing these visuals to those in the viral video, it becomes evident that the viral footage shows Mexican artillery, and not that of the Palestinian or Hamas forces.
Furthermore, we did not come across any reports indicating that Mexico has provided military support to Palestine or Hamas. Regarding the ongoing conflict, the Mexican government issued a statement condemning attacks against civilians. The statement further reads ‘Mexico recognizes Israel’s right to legitimate self-defense, which must be governed by the conditions established in international law, while condemning the use of force, regardless of which side uses it, especially when the targets are civilians, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.’
To sum it up, visuals related to the Independence Day parade of Mexico are being shared attributing them to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
