Claim: A video shows an explosion carried out by Israel near Jerusalem in May 2026.
Fact: The video is old and appeared online as early as January 2025. Social media users and credible news organisations have linked it to a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian oil refinery in the city of Ryazan at the time.
On 17 May, a Pakistani Facebook user posted a clip supposedly showing an explosion in Jerusalem, Israel. The caption of the post reads [translated from Urdu into English]: “A nuclear-like explosion has occurred in Jerusalem. Israel says it did it itself. While there are indications that ‘someone’ dropped a dirty bomb on Israel.”
Screenshot of the Facebook post.
The caption likely refers to a late night blast that apparently occurred near Beit Shemesh, Israel. According to an Israeli publication that cited an official source, a planned test explosion was conducted by the Israeli government’s defense company, Tomer.
We noticed that an X user posted the same clip on 17 May, claiming it showed a US missile striking an Iranian missile factory.
Screenshot of the X post.
It is important to note that this article only fact-checks the video.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is old.
Facebook users linked the footage to both Iran and Israel even last year in June 2025. One account posted the same clip on 18 June with a caption linking it to Iran whereas two other users shared the same footage, claiming it was linked to Tel Aviv, Israel, on 18 June 2025.
However, further reverse-searches revealed that the clip appeared as early as January 2025, with social media posts and publications linking it to the Russia-Ukraine war.
An X user shared the same video on X on 24 January 2025 suggesting that it showed Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery burning after it was hit by Ukraine.
On the left is the post depicting a still from the video in May 2026, which matches the one on the right from January 2025.
Another X user posted the clip with the same claim on 24 January 2025. The post’s caption said: “Ukrainian drones struck the Novo-Ryazan Combined Heat and Power Plant and the Ryazan Oil Refinery in the city of Ryazan, located in Western Russia.”
Moreover, several news publications also linked the footage to Ukraine’s attack on a Russian oil refinery in January 2025. A Ukrainian media outlet, Kyiv Independent, published the same footage in its article titled “‘More than 50 explosions’ — Massive drone strike targets Russian refinery plants” on 24 January 2025.
Reuters’ report, “Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in big drone attack”, carried the same clip on 24 January 2025.
Reuters published the same footage in its report on 24 January 2025.
Ukrainian drones reportedly hit a Russian oil refinery in the city Ryazan in January 2025, damaging equipment and setting the site on fire.
Soch Fact Check, therefore, rates the claim as false.
Virality
The Facebook post garnered approximately 1,400 reactions and was reshared 118 times.
It was also shared by Facebook users seven times in May 2026.
The video appeared on X at least 11 times in May 2026.
Three Pakistani users also shared the same clip in the context of the US-Israel war with Iran in March and April 2026.
Screenshot of clip shared in the context of the US-Israel war with Iran.
Conclusion: The footage does not show any recently reported explosion in Israel. The footage is old, and appeared as early as January 2025, with news reports linking it to a Ukrainian strike on a Russian oil refinery in the city of Ryazan.
Background image in cover photo: Tourist Israel
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