Protests have broken out in Israel demanding an end to the Middle East war sparked by a US-Israeli strike on Iran in February 2026, but a video circulating online that shows people clashing with the police is not linked to the rallies. The footage in fact was filmed at a skirmish between police and locals in an ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv weeks before the war broke out over rumours that soldiers were there to serve conscription orders.

"Tel Aviv is in turmoil: Israeli people are finally fed up, their long-suppressed discontent exploded amidst a series of Iranian missile attacks, leaving them no choice but to protest on the streets," reads in part a simplified Chinese Weibo post shared on March 15.

The attached video, which has been viewed more than 213,000 times, shows a police officer throwing a stun grenade while a man walks toward a group of police with a stroller in front of him and a toddler inside.

At least one Chinese media outlet has circulated the false video in a report claiming the protesters were "demanding regime change in Israel."

While the vast majority of Jewish Israelis support the ongoing campaign of strikes on Iran, anti-war activists have held rallies voicing opposition to the fighting.

Protesters and police scuffled during a rally against the war in HaBima Square in Tel Aviv on March 7, while similar small-scale demonstrations were held in Jerusalem and Haifa (archived here and here).

Israeli left-wing activists also took to the streets of Tel Aviv again on March 21 to protest against the ongoing war with Iran.

The false video has spread across platforms, including X, Facebook and YouTube in multiple languages with similar captions, but it does not actually show the anti-war rallies. 

A reverse image search on Google found a clip showing the same scene shared on TikTok on February 15, nearly two weeks before the war began, with overlaid text saying it shows a police officer throwing a stun grenade during a protest in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv (archived link).

A separate search found Israeli news outlet Ynet published a video showing the same scene from another angle on the day, filmed during unrest sparked by rumours that soldiers had arrived to distribute military draft notices (archived link).

During the chaos, ultra-Orthodox protestors attacked two female soldiers, who were later rescued. Police used stun grenades during the confrontations and arrested 22 people.

Other Israeli outlets also covered the clashes (archived here and here).

Military service is compulsory for Jewish males in Israel, but ultra-Orthodox men have enjoyed a de facto exemption to allow full‑time study in religious seminaries -- a policy that has become increasingly contentious as the government looks to reform the system (archived link).

AFP has debunked other misinformation stemming from the Middle East war.