CNN’s latest report on Gaza features staged footage and questionable injuries, raising serious concerns about their fact-checking.
5 ViewsThe video begins with the cameraman at an initial location, where people are waiting near a street theater cart that remains throughout the footage. In the third second, the actors briefly appear behind. The cameraman then shifts to a better vantage point, camera ready, as the group starts to move. In the first few seconds, you can even hear the cameraman say, “Ready? 1… 2… 3…”. As soon as the cameraman is in position, people begin walking (along with the street theater cart).
At 00:26, you hear gunfire. The problem is that the gunfire is a sound effect. If you listen carefully, the sound starts softly, then increases in volume, but it’s the sound of bullets ricocheting off metal—a standard movie set sound (as confirmed by a forensic ballistics expert).
At 00:33, the first “injured” person appears, theatrically holding his right shoulder. Not only is there no bullet hole or blood, but he’s also holding a heavy bag with the same arm. The cameraman briefly checks him, then moves on, of course.
At 00:38, the man shouts, “Where is the ambulance?” and turns the camera in the opposite direction, revealing that an ambulance has already been waiting there since the beginning of the scene.
At 00:46, a second “injured” person limps into view, also without any blood or bullet wounds.
At 01:02, things escalate with the appearance of a third injured person with a red round mark on his stomach, but again, no bullet hole in his shirt or stomach. A stomach shot would result in a lot of blood, not just a small mark.
At 01:13, another “injured” person appears, but the scene loses momentum as we’re back to no-blood injuries after the brief excitement of the previous one.
At 01:29, the main action happens: a girl “shot” in the neck. In cases of gunshot wounds or carotid artery lacerations, massive bleeding would occur, requiring immediate pressure and possibly surgery. Yet, the girl in the video appears disturbingly calm and shows no significant signs of blood loss, casting doubt on her injury’s authenticity.
At 01:42, a tube spraying blood is visible, which only spurts when someone presses on it. This element has been used in similar videos from Gaza, reinforcing the staged nature of the scene. A professional paramedic would lay the patient down in a serious bleeding scenario, contrary to what is depicted here.
At 01:51, the street theater cart makes a reappearance behind everyone, though it set off ahead of them. It’s curious why it lingered near the scene. At
02:03, the critically “injured” girl is removed from the ambulance to make room for the lightly wounded. — These are just the main points; there are dozens more details throughout the video. People have contacted