FACT CHECK: Image Showing Passenger Plane With Burning Beirut In Background Is AI-Generated

An image shared on X claims to show a passenger aircraft flying as Beirut, Lebanon burns in the background.

A Middle East Airline plane landing at Hariri Int Airport in #Beirut in the middle of Israeli strikes. Only in #Lebanon 💔 …@MEAAIRLIBAN @BEYAirport https://t.co/dAonh12JY3 pic.twitter.com/IZvhoWy3eT

— Dr. David I. Ramadan (@DavidIRamadan) October 20, 2024

Verdict: False

The image was generated by artificial intelligence.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming to show Beirut Airport on fire, with a passenger plane flying over the burning area. One user wrote, “A Middle East Airline plane landing at Hariri Int Airport in #Beirut in the middle of Israeli strikes. Only in #Lebanon 💔 …”

This claim is false. The original image, which was shared on Instagram, clarifies that it shows AI-generated images. The caption reads, “here are AI generated photos depicting the real situation.”

BBC Verify reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh also debunked the claim in an Oct. 20 tweet. (RELATED: Did Tesco and Shell Redirect Energy From a Solar Farm Meant to Power 100,000 Homes?)

This image, showing a plane landing at Beirut airport amid a huge fire nearby, is being widely shared amid intense Israeli strikes tonight.

The bizzare shape of the plane and its wings, the fire and the building in the foreground indicate the image is AI-generated and fake. pic.twitter.com/CRRbXCieh3

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 20, 2024

“This image, showing a plane landing at Beirut airport amid a huge fire nearby, is being widely shared amid intense Israeli strikes tonight. The bizzare shape of the plane and its wings, the fire and the building in the foreground indicate the image is AI-generated and fake,” Sardarizadeh tweeted.