DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — A four-day cease-fire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas was set to begin Friday morning, Qatar said after a daylong delay extended the agony for those hoping for some relief from the deal, which is to bring the release of dozens of hostages held by militants and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The diplomatic breakthrough promised some relief for the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of Israeli bombardment, as well as families in Israel fearful for the fate of their loved ones taken captive during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.
The cease-fire was originally set to begin Thursday morning, but it appeared to hit a snag the night before when Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, announced a one-day delay without providing a reason.
Palestinians inspect the rubble of a destroyed buildingÌýThursday after the Muharib family was killed in an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in the Nusseirat refugee camp.
Adel Hana, Associated Press
On Thursday, QatariÌýForeign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari announced the cease-fire will start at 7 a.m. local time Friday (5 a.m. GMT.)
He said the two sides had exchanged lists of those to be released, and the first group of 13 women and children held by Hamas would be freed Friday afternoon. He did not say how many Palestinian prisoners would be freed, but officials have said three would be freed for every hostage.
Increased aid for Palestinians will start to enter Gaza “as soon as possible,†al-Ansari said. The hope is that the “momentum†from this deal will lead to an “end to this violence," he told reporters.
Israeli airstrikes continued Thursday. In the afternoon, a strike leveled a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. At least 12 people were killed, according to officials at nearby Al-Aqsa Hospital.
Palestinians look for survivors Thursday after an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip in Rafah.
Hatem Ali, Associated Press
One resident, Hosni Moharib, said his wife and several children were killed and other relatives remained buried under the rubble.
“It exploded on the house, striking the babies and young children. Everyone in the house, they are all dead,†he said, bursting into tears.
The Israeli bombardment, now in its seventh week, has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which resumed its detailed count of casualties in Gaza from the war. The ministry had stopped publishing casualty counts since Nov. 11, saying it had lost the ability to do so because of the health system's collapse in the north.
The new numbers were not fully broken down, but women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figures do not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north. The ministry says some 6,000 people have been reported missing, feared buried under rubble.
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The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its death tolls. Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas fighters, without presenting evidence for its count.
Smoke rises Thursday following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel.
Leo Correa, Associated Press
The truce agreement raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which has leveled vast swaths of Gaza, fueled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East.
Air-raid sirens sounded across northern Israel on Thursday as Hezbollah said it fired 48 Katyusha rockets from southern Lebanon. The barrage came after an Israeli strike killed five Hezbollah fighters, including the son of the head of the group’s parliamentary bloc.
The Israeli military said it was striking the sources of the launches. Israel and Hezbollah, which fought a monthlong war in 2006, have repeatedly traded fire across the border since the war in Gaza broke out.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the war after the truce expires to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, end its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all the estimated 240 captives held in Gaza by Hamas and other groups.
“We will continue it until we achieve all our goals,†Netanyahu said, adding that he had delivered the same message in a phone call to President Joe Biden. Washington has provided extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel since the start of the war.
The Israeli military said combat operations would continue until it was ordered to hold fire, and chief spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said troops would remain in place during the truce. Israeli forces hold much of northern Gaza, where they say they have dismantled tunnels and much of Hamas’ infrastructure there.
The military said it has surrounded the Jabaliya refugee camp and called on any residents inside to evacuate Thursday. The military has said it is pursuing Hamas fighters in Jabaliya, a dense urban district adjacent to Gaza City that been heavily bombarded for weeks.
The military said Thursday it detained the director of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Abu Selmia, for questioning over his involvement in what it called “extensive†Hamas activities in the hospital. Gaza’s Health Ministry condemned Abu Selmia’s arrest and called on international bodies to intervene.
For Hamas, the cease-fire would provide an opportunity to regroup after weeks of apparently heavy losses. Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar, who is believed to be alive and in hiding in Gaza, is likely to claim the release of Palestinian prisoners as a major achievement and declare victory if the war ends.Ìý
Misinformation about Israel-Hamas war floods social media; here are the facts
Claim: Black flag calls Muslims to action
CLAIM: A major mosque in Iran raised a black flag to call Muslims to war over Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
THE FACTS: The Imam Reza shrine, pictured above in 2008, said the flag was raised as a symbol of mourning for the lives lost in Israel’s strikes on Gaza. Experts on Islam and Iran confirmed the flag includes a passage from the Quran that is meant to comfort Muslims that their sacrifices will one day be rewarded.
Social media users are sharing the false claim alongside images and videos of the distinctive gold dome ofÌýÌý— a major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims in Iran’s northeast that includes a mosque, library and other institutions — with a black banner flying on a flagpole.
“BREAKING: The Black Flag has been raised over Razavi Shrine in Mashhad, Khorasan province, Iran,†wrote one Facebook user who shared the image on Oct. 18, using an alternate name for the complex. “This is a call for war or vengeance.â€
Others claimed the black flag and its Farsi inscription was meant to herald the coming of the Mahdi, the final leader believed to appear at the end of times to lead Muslim people.
But the black flag isn’t a call for war, and neither the flag’s text nor the shrine’s statement about the banner references the coming of the Mahdi or the end of time.
In fact,ÌýÌýon the shrine’s English-language Facebook page on Oct. 17 specifically describes it as a “mourning flag†that was raised in response to theÌýÌýa hospital in Hamas-controlled Gaza that day.
“In an unprecedented gesture and by the order of the custodian of Astan Quds Razavi, the black flag has been hoisted above the illuminated and pure Razavi dome, and drum beating will not be played tomorrow,†the post said, including #sorrow #mourning #sadness #grief and other hashtags.
Islamic and Iranian experts confirmed the flag includes a line from the Quran roughly translated as “help from Allah and an imminent victory†or “conquest from Allah and victory is near.â€
That phrase isn’t traditionally used to declare war, but meant to bring comfort and hope to those struggling or engaged in battle that their sacrifice is not in vain and that Allah will grant them victory eventually, they said.
Hamid Dabashi, professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University in New York, said the Quranic verse, in the context of the shrine’s Facebook post, means “solidarity†with the Palestinian cause and not an outright declaration of war against Israel.
“To me it says nothing more than the obvious: the ruling government in Iran supports Hamas and the Islamic Jihad,†he wrote in an email. “Nothing more, nothing less.â€
The Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based think tank founded by Israeli analysts, agreed, noting that Islamic militants tend to use a different passage from the Quran when declaring war.
The organizationÌýÌýfrom the Iran-backed Iraqi militias claiming responsibility for recent attacks on U.S. bases inÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýÌýopen with this Quranic verse: “Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to grant them victory.â€
Hasan Sarbakhshian, Associated Press (Aug. 11, 2008)
Claim: Kim Jong Un blames Biden for war
CLAIM: A video shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un saying in a speech that he blames President Joe Biden for the latestÌý.
THE FACTS: ÌýÌýis from 2020 and the version currently circulating online features incorrect English captions. The footage actually shows KimÌýÌýof the founding of the Korean Workers’ Party; he doesn’t reference the conflict in the Middle East or Biden at any point.
In the misleading video circulating online, the English captions claim Kim says: “Under the Biden administration, conflicts erupt yearly. This year a war begins between Israel and Palestine.â€
“I’m afraid that if the Biden admin does not cease to exist in the next election, World War 3 may begin,†the captions continue. “Who knows what next year’s war will be. I support Donald Trump for President in 2024. Good Luck to Mr. Trump.â€
The video was shared on Instagram and TikTok, where one post garnered more than 223,000 likes.
However, the video is old and the captions are completely inaccurate.
Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýÌýfrom theÌýÌýcan be seen in news reports from October 2020 aboutÌýÌýthe 75th anniversary of the Korean Workers Party.
AÌýÌýtranslated to English by The National Committee on North Korea, a U.S.-based organization, does not mention anything about the Israel-Hamas war nor the 2024 U.S. presidential race.
Multiple Korean speakers and an expert who reviewed the portion of the speech circulating online also confirmed Kim says nothing of the sort in the footage.
Instead, Kim thanks his people and his military, saying: “The patriotic and heroic commitment shown by our People’s Army soldiers on the unexpected frontlines of epidemic prevention and natural disaster recovery this year is something that evokes tears of gratitude from everyone.â€
Ji-Young Lee, a professor of Korean Studies at American University who confirmed the captions are inaccurate, noted that the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militantsÌýÌýin South Korea about a similar assault from the North.
KRT via AP (October 2020)
Claim: Turkish president threatens to intervene
CLAIM: Turkish PresidentÌýÌýhas threatened to intervene in the latest Israel-Hamas war.
THE FACTS: The conservative Muslim president, pictured above in September, has said no such thing. A social media post he wrote recently about the ongoing conflict has been misquoted.
Social media users are sharing a quote they say is from Erdogan, in which the long serving leader warns his country will take decisive steps to end the conflict if the destruction of Hamas-controlled Gaza continues.
“Turkish President Erdogan has THREATENED to intervene in the Israeli war on Gaza: ‘I call on all humanity to take action to stop this unprecedented brutality in the Gaza Strip. If not, we will do it’,†wrote one user on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in a post that has been liked or shared more than 105,000 times.
But the posts are misquoting a comment ErdoganÌýÌýabout the deadly conflict.
In the message, which was written in Turkish, the president did “invite all humanity†to help stop the “unprecedented brutality in Gaza,†as the posts claim.
But he doesn’t write “If not, we will do it†or other threatening phrases suggesting a direct military intervention by Turkey, according to native Turkish speakers and other experts who reviewed Erdogan’s social media posts for The Associated Press.
“President Erdogan did not threaten to intervene in the conflict,†Steven Cook, a Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington think tank, wrote in an email. “He was speaking generally about getting the world to put pressure on Israel to stop its military campaign.â€
Elizabeth Shakman Hurd, a political science professor at Northwestern University who specializes in the Middle East, added that she hasn’t seen any indication that Erdogan has made such a threat elsewhere.
Turkish government spokespersons didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment, but Erdogan posted aÌýÌýon his personal account on X, also written in Turkish, in which he denounced Israel’s attacks on Gaza, criticized Western nations and media outlets and called for the international community to push for a ceasefire.
The official, English-language account for the Turkish president’s office echoed that sentimentÌýÌýabout a call between Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
“Underscoring that forcing the Palestinians in Gaza to migrate from their homeland is unacceptable, President Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye will continue to make every effort in order for peace to be ensured and for humanitarian aid as well as healthcare services to be immediately delivered to Gaza,†the office wrote.
Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP (September 2023)
Claim: Israel confirms it bombed hospital
CLAIM: The Israeli military confirmed it bombed a hospital in Gaza in a social media post written in Arabic.
THE FACTS: A screenshot circulating online shows a Facebook post from an account posing as the Israeli military. No such post exists on the military's actual social media pages and its top Arabic-speaking spokesperson confirmed his office has issued no such statement.
In the wake ofÌýÌýat al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, social media users shared the screenshot, claiming it is from a member of the Israeli military's Arabic-speaking media relations team.
The user’s profile image bears the blue-and-white emblem of the spokesperson’s office, which features radio waves atop the Israeli military’s traditional symbol of an olive branch-wrapped sword.
The post, written in Arabic, suggests the Jewish nation said it bombed the hospital because the Gaza City medical facility lacked supplies and staff.
“Israeli official facebook post: ‘Due to the lack of medical equipment and the lack of medical staff, it was decided to bomb the Baptist Hospital in Gaza and give them euthanasia’,†wrote one user on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in a post translating the screenshot. Similar posts were also widely shared on TikTok and other social media platforms.
But the purported statement wasn’t penned by the Israeli military’s press office, its top Arabic-speaking spokesperson confirmed this week.
“Just to clarify: I did not issue any statement or comment regarding the Baptist Hospital in Gaza,†wrote Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media branch of the Israeli military's Spokesperson’s Unit, in aÌý, when the blast occurred. “All the news circulating in my name comes from the Hamas media outlets and is completely false.â€
The office on Oct. 19 confirmed the post did not come from the military’s official Arabic page, saying in an emailed statement: “The IDF has made it very clear that there was no IDF strike on the hospital."
What’s more, the Israeli military’s press office doesn’t use its own logo on its actual social media accounts, unlike the fake account.
The unit’s separate Facebook pagesÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌý, as well as its X account writtenÌý, for example, all use the military’s main symbol. That gold-colored emblem features the olive branch-wrapped sword with the Star of David in the background.
Meanwhile Adraee’s social media accounts, which are the main channel for the Israeli military’s messages in Arabic, feature his profile picture and aÌýÌýconsisting of five swords with flames in the background as its cover photo.
The original fake account and post on Facebook also appear to have been deleted as of Oct. 19. Spokespersons for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, didn’t reply to an email seeking comment.
There were conflicting accusations of who was responsible for the hospital blast, with Hamas officials in Gaza blaming an Israeli airstrike and Israel saying it was caused by a an errant rocket launched by Palestinian militants. U.S. and French intelligence services also concluded it was likely caused by a misfired rocket.ÌýÌýof video, photos and satellite imagery, as well as consultation with experts, showed the cause was likely a rocket launched from Palestinian territory that misfired in the air and crashed to the ground. However, a definitive conclusion could not be reached.
Abed Khaled, Associated Press (Oct. 17, 2023)
Claim: Qatar’s emir threatens to cut off world’s natural gas supply
CLAIM: A video shows Qatar’s emir threatening to cut off the world’s natural gas supply if Israel doesn’t stop bombing Gaza.
THE FACTS: Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, seen above in 2022, says no such thing in the widely circulating clip, which is more than 6 years old. A spokesperson for the Qatari government also confirmed that neither the emir nor any other government official has threatened to cut off exports in response to the conflict.
Many online are sharing the video of the Persian Gulf nation’s ruler, falsely claiming it shows him saying in Arabic that he’s willing to halt the distribution of its gas reserves to achieve his desired end to the latest Israel-Hamas war.
“BREAKING: Qatar is threatening to create a global gas shortage in support of Palestine,†wrote one user who posted the video on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “If the bombing of Gaza doesn’t stop, we will stop gas supply of the world.â€
ButÌýÌýsays nothing of the sort in the video. The 7-second clip is actually a tiny snippet from hisÌýÌýat theÌý.
Marc Owen Jones, a professor of Middle East studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, the capital of Qatar, confirmed that the emir touches briefly on Palestinians in the widely shared clip, but doesn’t make any threats related to the current conflict.
Instead the emir, in his remarks, urged the international community to take more steps to address the region’s refugee crisis, news outlets reported at the time.
“The exact translation is: ‘The issue of Palestine, I’ll begin by saying it’s a case of a people uprooted from their lands, and displaced from their nation’,†Jones wrote in an email.
Qatar’s government on Oct. 16 confirmed the clip dates to 2017 and is being misrepresented.
“This is yet another case of an online disinformation against QatarÌý— such a statement has never been made and never would be,†wrote the country’s International Media Office in an email. “Qatar does not politicize its LNG supplies or any economic investment.â€
Qatar is one of the world’s top natural gas producers. It controlled the third-largest natural gas reserves and was the second largest exporter of liquified natural gas, or LNG, in 2021, according to theÌý.
What’s more, the country has been working in recent years to use its sizable resources to build ties with other nations, not antagonize them, according to experts.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a Boston-based company that tracks gas prices nationwide, pointed to a deal Qatar’s state energy companyÌýÌýto supply French energy company TotalEnergies with 3.5 million tons of natural gas annually for the next 27 years.
“Qatar has been securing investment since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed Europe to find new sources of natural gas and quickly,†he wrote in an email. “They’re making deals left and right.â€
Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP (Oct. 13, 2022)
Claim: BBC reports Ukraine provided weapons to Hamas
CLAIM: A video shows a BBC News report confirming Ukraine provided weapons to Hamas.
Pictured above,ÌýHamas masked gunmen display their military skills during a rally to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the Hamas militant group, in Gaza City, on Dec. 14, 2014.Ìý
THE FACTS: The widely shared video clip is fabricated, officials with the BBC and Bellingcat, an investigative news website that is cited in the video as the source, confirm.
The clip, which includes the BBC’s distinctive block-text logo, purports to show a story from the outlet about a recent report from Bellingcat on Ukraine providing arms to Hamas.
“Bellingcat: Ukrainian military offensive failure and HAMAS attack linked,†reads the text over the video, which has more than 2,500 comments and 110,000 views on the messaging service Telegram. “The Palestinians purchased firearms, ammunition, drones and other weapons.â€
But neither the BBC nor Bellingcat has reported any evidence to support the notion that Ukraine funneled arms to Hamas.
“We’ve reached no such conclusions or made any such claims,†Bellingcat wrote Oct. 10 in aÌýÌýthat included screengrabs of the fake report. “We’d like to stress that this is a fabrication and should be treated accordingly.â€
Eliot Higgins, the Amsterdam-based organization’s founder, noted in a separateÌýÌýthat the claims have been amplified by Russian social media users.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a New York University professor briefly shown near the end of the video, also disputed the clip’s suggestion that he’s said the U.S. might leave NATO if the arms claims prove true.
“Entirely fake. Never said that,†the distinguished professor of risk engineering wrote in an email.
Spokespersons for the BBC didn’t respond to emails seeking comment, but Shayan Sardarizadeh, a reporter with the organization’s fact checking unit, confirmed in aÌýÌýthat the video is not real.
Ukrainian officials have similarly dismissed the notion that its country’s arms have somehow found their way to Hamas. The country’s military intelligence agency, in an Oct. 9 post on itsÌý, accused Russia of plotting a disinformation campaign around these claims.
Experts say there is also no evidence of Hamas making any claims about receiving arms from Ukraine, nor would it make sense for Kyiv to provide them.
“I see no reason Ukraine would do this,†said Michael O’Hanlon, director of foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. “Starting with the fact that Kiev is in the business of obtaining weapons and not giving them away.â€
Khalil Hamra, Associated Press (Dec. 14, 2014)
Claim: Video shows actor in fake blood for propaganda
CLAIM: Video of a young actor being filmed lying in a pool of fake blood shows propaganda being created for use in the Israel-Hamas war.
THE FACTS: The video isÌýÌýfrom the making of “Empty Place,†aÌýÌýfocused on the story ofÌý, a Palestinian who was arrested at age 13 in 2015 in relation to the stabbing of two Israelis.
Pictured, Manasra’sÌýmother Wafa Manasra kisses him goodbye during his March 21, 2019, funeral in the West Bank village of Wad Fokin.
Social media users on both sides of the latestÌýÌýare sharing the video, each falsely alleging that it’s proof the other group is creating propaganda about their own.
In the clip, a young actor lies on a sidewalk covered in fake blood, his right leg bent backward, as a film crew works around him. Other actors mill about dressed as soldiers and in garb worn by many Orthodox Jewish men.
“See how Israelis are making fake videos saying that Palestine Freedom Fighters killed children,†reads one tweet that had received more than 5,600 likes and more than 4,400 shares as of Oct. 11.
An Instagram post claimed the opposite, stating: “These terrorists are dressing up as JEWISH soldiers to create fake videos about Israeli soldiers! Faking Propaganda!â€
But neither allegation is correct. The video shows footage from the making of the 2022 short film directed by Awni Eshtaiwe, a filmmaker based in the West Bank. The scene being shot begins about 1 minute and 10 seconds into the approximately 2 minute film.
Mohamad Awawdeh, a cinematographer listed in the film’s credits as a camera assistant, posted the behind-the-scenes footageÌýÌýin April 2022, around the time the film was released. A caption on the post, written in Arabic, explains that the scene being filmed in the video shows Manasra being attacked. AwawdehÌýÌýto Instagram on June 30.
Nasser Nasser, Associated Press (March 21, 2019)
Claim: Hamas fighters storm sports field to attack Israelis
CLAIM: A video shows Hamas fighters parachuting onto a sports field before attacking Israeli citizens during the group’s surprise Oct. 7 attack on Israel.Ìý
Pictured, Palestinians wave their national flag and celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank Oct. 7, 2023, at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis after ÌýHamas carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel.
THE FACTS : While HamasÌýÌýto get some fighters across the border between Gaza and southern Israel,ÌýÌýof the sports field shows parachute jumpers in Cairo and has been online since at least September.
The clip shows people strapped to multi-colored parachutes descending onto a crowded sports field complex filled with children and families, many in red sports jerseys.
“Hamas paraglided amongst Israeli citizens and proceeded to massacre them,†text on the video clip reads. One post of the misleading footage on TikTok was viewed more than 38,000 times.
But this footage has been online since at least Sept. 27, when it was posted to TikTok with the location tag “Egypt.â€
Details of the video also point to Egypt as the location — a person is wearing a blue shirt that reads “El Nasr SC†on the back, the name ofÌýÌýin northeastern Cairo.
Ìýmatch the scene of the video — as well as several other clips of the event from the same TikTok user — with both showing a bright blue fence around a sporting ground next to a paved area with green and blue plastic seats.
The parachuters land on a larger soccer pitch surrounded by tall field lights. The field matchesÌýÌýposted to the club’s Facebook page andÌýÌýof its soccer team’s matches, including a distinctive red building with a blue fence on top at one end that can be seen in the TikTok clip at around 19 seconds.
Other TikTok users shared footage of a parachuting similar scene around the same time, with “El Nasr†in the caption in Arabic.
The crowd of onlookers in the clip circulating online also doesn’t seem distressed by the arrival of the parachuters, as one might expect if they were an invading force. In fact, many women and children are seen running towards them, phones in hand taking videos and photos of the aerial display.
Yousef Masoud, Associated Press (Oct. 7, 2023)
Claim: Putin warns US to ‘stay away’ from war
※ú³¢´¡±õ²Ñ: Two videos show Russian President Vladimir Putin warning the U.S. to “stay away†from the latest Israel-Hamas war.
THE FACTS: ÌýÌýÌýcirculating online are months-old clips of Putin, seen here on Oct. 24, 2023, in Moscow, speaking about the Russia-Ukraine war, not the conflict in the Middle East, which have been miscaptioned in English.
Both videos show Putin speaking in Russian, with false English captions saying he was warning the U.S. to refrain from helping the Jewish state.
“America wants to Destroy israel as we destroy ukraine In past,†the captions on one video state. “I am warning America. Russia will help palestine and america can do nothing.†One TikTok post that shared the clip had received approximately 11,600 views as of Oct. 9.
A caption on another video of Putin, filmed in a different location, similarly reads: “I am warning america to stay Away from palestine israel war.â€
But the two clips long predate the latest Israel-Hamas war and make no mention of Israel at all.
Ìýshows Putin at a meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council in December 2022, where, amid discussions about the war in Ukraine, he responded to a question about the country’s potential use of nuclear weapons,Ìý. The footage was featured by multiple otherÌýÌýwith similar translations.
InÌý, Putin is speaking at a February 2023 event marking the 80th anniversary of the World War II Soviet victory over Nazi German forces in the battle of Stalingrad. In his remarks, he compared this threat to Germany’s then-recentÌýÌýto supply Ukraine with tanks,Ìý. Several media outlets alsoÌýÌýthe footage in similar reports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry PeskovÌýÌýon Oct. 9 that Russia is “extremely concerned†by the “spiral of violence†in Israel. Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister and former ambassador to Israel and Egypt, told the state Tass agency Oct. 7 that MoscowÌýÌýwith “all parties (of the conflict), including Arab countries†and was urging for “an immediate cease-fire and peace.â€
Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP (Oct. 24, 2023)
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