Fact-check: AI-Generated wildfire video falsely claimed as Israeli emergency

Fact-check:  AI-Generated wildfire video falsely claimed as Israeli emergency

Claim

On May 1, 2025, social media users circulated a dramatic video alleging “Israel declares state of emergency as fire engulfs it.” The 30-second clip shows forests and neighborhoods ablaze, with captions like “Allah Israel ko Tabah kry” (“May God destroy Israel”) and hashtags such as #israelfire.

Background

On April 30, 2025, real wildfires did break out near Jerusalem and forced emergency measures. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu did declare a national emergency as flames spread along the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway. Thousands of residents were evacuated from hillside communities, the army and firefighting forces were mobilized. Ultimately, about 5,000 acres were burned – extensive, but largely contained before residential structures were damaged.

 

Fact Check

This video is AI-generated.

1. Visual red flags

The flames and smoke appear highly unrealistic

The vehicle license plates show distorted, random characters.

A car caught in flames remains mostly undamaged

2. AI-detection result

Flagged as AI-generated: 98 percent confidence (Hive Moderation)

3. Source Analysis

The video was first posted on Jan 11, 2025 by the account activa_modo_avion with hashtags like #aiart and a caption “representation of fires that can cause global warming.”

Conclusion

This analysis confirms that the viral “Israel on fire” video is entirely fake – generated using AI. Viewers are urged to approach sensational disaster videos online with caution. Always check for telltale AI-generated artifacts and verify claims through credible news sources.