“Thousands of U.S. troops make their way to Israel” in video.
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Old footage mischaracterized as showing U.S. troops deployed to Israel
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- This footage predates the current conflict between Israel and Hamas. Some of the video clips were taken in Djibouti, which is more than 1,400 miles from Israel, in 2018.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered troops to prepare to deploy to the Middle East to support Israel, though likely not in combat roles, The New York Times recently reported.
But an Oct. 10 TikTok post claiming to show "thousands of US troops deployed to Israel" does not reflect this.
Tickers above and below the TikTok video say "Breaking news," and text says "thousands of US troops make their way to Israel."
Some of the footage, however, is more than 5 years old, and from Africa — not the Middle East.
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TikTok identified this video as part of its efforts to counter inauthentic, misleading or false content. (Read more about PolitiFact's partnership with TikTok.)
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Several clips come from the Defense Department and appear on the Getty Images’ website. They show U.S. soldiers participating in an emergency deployment readiness exercise in Djibouti, which is more than 1,400 miles from Israel, in March 2018.
Another clip has been online since at least July. Someone in that video can be heard saying, "Welcome to Poland."
We rate claims this footage shows soldiers deployed to the Middle East False.
Our Sources
TikTok post, Oct. 10, 2023
YouTube, US Troops and Military Vehicles Arrive in Poland & immediately deploy to Ukraine - 4K, July 26, 2023
Getty Images, Troops loading kit for emergency response east africa, March 16, 2018
Getty Images, Troops preparing emergency repsonse exercise, March 16, 2018
Getty Images, Armed soldiers walking across airstrip, March 16, 2018
Insider, The history of the US Army's uniforms since 1776, in images and depictions, Oct. 27, 2018
The New York Times, Pentagon Orders 2,000 More U.S. Troops to Be Ready to Deploy to the Middle East, Oct. 17, 2023
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Old footage mischaracterized as showing U.S. troops deployed to Israel
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