Politics

FACT CHECK: No, The Israeli Prime Minister Did Not Confirm Israel Is Responsible For The Beirut Explosion

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An image shared on Facebook claims Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel was responsible for the massive explosion in Beirut.

Facebook/Screenshot

Verdict: False

There is no record of Netanyahu making such a statement. While the explosion is still being investigated, it has been linked to a chemical compound that was stored at the port and believed to have caught fire.

Fact Check:

A massive explosion on Aug. 4 in the Lebanese capital of Beirut killed at least 150 people and wounded thousands of others, according to the Wall Street Journal. The image, which shows a screengrab of an Instagram post, alleges that Netanyahu “just confirmed” Israel was responsible for the deadly blast.

“BREAKING: PM Netanyahu of Israel has just confirmed the drone strike In Beirut, Lebanon as their own in another Attack against the vicious terrorist organization Hezbollah,” reads the image.

The Daily Caller News Foundation didn’t find any record of Netanyahu confirming such a thing on his Twitter account or his office’s website. Major media outlets also did not mention the Israeli prime minister making a statement to that effect in their reporting about the explosion.

Reuters reported that Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told Israeli N12 television news the explosion was most likely an accident caused by a fire and that another Israeli official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Israel has nothing to do with the incident.” Lebanese officials have linked the explosion to a stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse that is believed to have caught fire, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The screengrabbed Instagram post later added an update: “Israel has just confirmed alongside with Lebanese officials they had nothing todo (sic) with these attacks.”

The Israel Defense Forces on Aug. 4 tweeted, “Under the guidance of the @Israel_MOD and @IsraelMFA, Israel has offered to send humanitarian & medical assistance to Lebanon via security and international channels. This is a time to transcend conflict.”

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.