On 30 March, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, which allows for the imposition of the death penalty on Palestinians convicted in military courts of killing Israelis in attacks classified as terrorism. Against this backdrop, a video showing men in black uniforms beating individuals with sticks inside what looks like a prison is going viral on social media with the claim that Israeli forces are torturing Palestinian prisoners. The caption of the post states, “IDF soldiers always torture Palestinian hostages before executing them.”
Let’s check the truth.
Fact check:
We started our investigation with a reverse image search on Google, and the results led us to a longer version of the viral video shared by the Instagram page of the Iraqi channel Al-Iraqiya on 9 March 2026. According to the post, the video originates from “Beit Umm Layla,” a popular Iraqi television drama aired on Al-Iraqiya.
The series released 25 episodes between February 19 and March 20, exploring the psychological struggles of prisoners and their families. The viral video is specifically linked to episode 16 of the show. According to the entertainment platform elCinema, the series is a socio-political drama and does not feature real footage. The scenes circulating online are scripted portrayals and not evidence of abuse.
So, this video does not show IDF soldiers torturing Palestinian hostages before executing them.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading. This viral video is from an Iraqi TV series titled ‘Beit Um Layla.’
Title: Scene From Iraqi TV series goes viral as IDF tortures Palestinians
Fact Check By: Usha Manoj
Result: Misleading
