A video clip circulating on social media with claims it shows Palestinians or Israelis staging fake death footage has been repeatedly debunked. Gaza activists who have called this claim false are correct — the video is from a 2022 Palestinian film.

The Reality: This Is Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Reuters Fact Check investigated this clip on October 11, 2023, and confirmed: the video is behind-the-scenes footage from "Empty Place," a short Palestinian film directed by Awni Eshtaiwe and released on YouTube in April 2022.

• The film tells the story of Ahmed Manasra, a 13-year-old Palestinian who was hit by a car in East Jerusalem in 2015. The original video of Manasra — showing his legs twisted behind him and blood beside his head — was real footage that went viral at the time.
• "Empty Place" used actors to recreate this incident for a cinematic retelling of a true story.
• The circulating clip shows the film crew filming an actor in that recreation. It is not footage of current Gaza conflict, nor is it evidence of staged war propaganda.

The Timeline: Footage Has Been Circulating for 4+ Years

1. 2015: Ahmed Manasra, 13, is hit by a car in East Jerusalem. Video of his injuries goes viral.
2. April 2022: "Empty Place" is released on YouTube, depicting Manasra's story using actors.
3. 2022: Behind-the-scenes footage from the film begins circulating, shared with false claims.
4. October 2023: Reuters fact-checks the circulating clip and confirms it shows film production, not staged war footage.
5. 2024-2026: The same clip continues to recirculate during Gaza-Israel conflict, still with false claims.

Why Gaza Activists Are Right

When Gaza activists say this footage is not fake or staged from current conflict, they are correct. The video is:

• Not from 2026 — It is from 2022
• Not from Gaza — It depicts an East Jerusalem incident from 2015
• Not staged war footage — It is behind-the-scenes film production
• Not evidence of fake deaths — The incident it recreates (Manasra's death) was real and well-documented

The Pattern of Disinformation

This is not an isolated case. The Reuters Fact Check team noted that "numerous videos, social media posts and images purportedly about Israel-Hamas conflict are deliberately misleading."

Fake or recycled footage from past conflicts, video games, films, and completely fabricated content have flooded social media during active conflicts. According to BBC Verify, images from past conflicts have been passed off as live footage from Gaza.

The BBC has also documented that "Photos from past conflicts are being passed off as live footage from Gaza" in their ongoing verification work on Israel-Gaza coverage.

Conclusion

Verdict: False

The claim that this video shows Palestinians or Israelis faking death footage is false. The video is behind-the-scenes footage from a 2022 Palestinian film recreating a real 2015 incident.

Gaza activists who have called this claim false are correct. The clip is not evidence of staged war propaganda — it is evidence of how footage from years ago continues to be weaponized during current conflicts to spread disinformation.

When you see video purporting to show "smoking gun" evidence of fake war footage, pause. Verify the source. Check the date. Look for fact-checks from credible organizations like Reuters, AP Fact Check, or BBC Verify.

The truth is out there. It just isn't always the first thing you see on your timeline.