Israel-Hamas conflict is ongoing; viral surrender claim is baseless | Fact check
The claim: Hamas surrendered and Gaza now belongs to Israel
An Oct. 15 Facebook video (direct link, archive link) claims the Israel-Hamas war came to an end.
"The Israeli army has entered Gaza as of now," says a narrator as the video shows clips of uniformed soldiers moving about. "The Hamas militia was forced to surrender to the Israeli army by waving their white flags in their hands."
The video's caption states, "Gaza now Belongs to Israel. Hamas Surrendered Desperately."
The post garnered more than 2,000 shares in two days. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook.
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Our rating: False
As of Oct. 20, the Israeli military has not seized Gaza, and Hamas has not surrendered. The Israel-Hamas war is ongoing, according to numerous news outlets.
Israel-Hamas war ongoing
One day after ordering roughly 1 million civilians to evacuate northern Gaza, the Israeli military announced it would soon be launching a widespread offensive in the region.
But Israeli forces haven't yet committed to a ground invasion, let alone seized the region, as the Facebook video claims.
The video, which was originally shared on YouTube by the user, "DCM Global," doesn't provide evidence to back up its claims or show footage of Hamas militants surrendering. A clip showing soldiers holding white flags was shared on YouTube in November 2022, more than 10 months before Hamas' initial Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The original video's title claims the soldiers are Russian, according to Google Translate.
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On Oct. 17, two days after the Facebook video was shared, an explosion killed hundreds at a Gaza City hospital, and on Oct. 19, a residential building in Gaza was struck by bombs, killing at least 12 and wounding dozens more.
President Joe Biden landed in Israel on Oct. 18 to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The YouTube user couldn't be contacted.
PolitiFact also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
USA TODAY, Oct. 19, Biden announces Gaza aid; US says Israel not responsible for hospital airstrike: Live updates
USA TODAY, Oct. 15, Israel-Hamas war news: Israel warns of broad attack on Gaza City; US death toll rises
USA TODAY, Oct. 18, After Gaza hospital bombing kills hundreds, Israel and Hamas blame each other: Updates
USA TODAY, Oct. 19, Death toll surpasses 5,000; US armored vehicles arrive in Israel; Hamas on aid: Updates
USA TODAY, Oct. 18, Biden lands in Israel in hopes of de-escalating conflict, but already facing major setbacks
NBC News, Oct. 19, Israel-Hamas war live updates: Gaza hospital blast likely a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket misfire, U.S. officials say
The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 19, Israel-Hamas War: Biden Says Egypt Will Open Border Crossing, Israel Identifies More Hostages
The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 18, Israel Still Undecided About Ground Invasion
BBC, Oct. 19, LIVE: Israel says it won't block aid reaching Gaza from Egypt
Reuters, Oct. 18, Aerial images of Israel and Hamas at war
Associated Press, Oct. 15, AP PHOTOS: Israel-Hamas war’s 9th day leaves survivors bloody and grief stricken
Kanal13 (YouTube), Nov. 25, 2022, "Çıxırıq, çıxırıq, atmayın"- Ruslar ağ bayraq qaldıraraq belə təslim oldular
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim that Hamas surrendered and Israel seized Gaza | Fact check