False
Fact-Checked
- 08.01.2026
Viral image does not show Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa in hospital bed following alleged assassination attempt; is AI-generated
CLAIM
Viral image shows Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa on hospital bed following alleged assassination attempt
RATING JUSTIFICATION
The iVerify Pakistan team reviewed this content and determined that it is false.
To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a forensic analysis to assess its authenticity, as well as a Google reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original source.
Several Israeli and pro-Palestinian accounts across multiple social media platforms since January 5, 2026, shared an image, claiming that it shows Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa in a hospital bed following an alleged assassination attempt. However, the image is AI-generated.
HOW IT STARTED
On Jan 5, an Israeli user on X, who describes himself as a journalist, shared an image on X allegedly showing Sharaa on a hospital bed with medical tubes attached to him.
The caption of the post read, “There are many rumours circulating about the injury of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (real name is Ahmed al-Sharaa) in a well-executed ambush a few days ago. We are monitoring the situation.”
The post garnered over 1.8 million views.
Another user who appeared to be a pro-Palestinian based on his cover photo and X bio, shared the same image with the following caption: “Just in: Israel fails in an attempt to assassinate Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa. Mossad tried to kill him in Damascus, but they failed. He is now in Turkey receiving treatment. Make dua for our brother in Islam, he needs it.”
The post gained over 545,000 views.
The image, along with similar claims were shared by several other X users, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here; collectively gaining more than 178,000 views.
The photo and claims were also shared on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining almost 22,000 likes.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the evolving political situation in the Middle East.
A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any such assassination attempt on Ahmed al-Sharaa had occurred; however, no reports were found from credible mainstream Syrian, Arab, or international news outlets.
Additionally, a Google reverse image search was conducted to determine whether any reputable outlet had published the visuals of the alleged assassination attempt; however, it yielded no results.
When analysed, forensic tool Undetectable flagged the image as created using artificial intelligence, with only 1% likelihood of being real.
A Google reverse image search yielded an X post dated Oct 17, 2020, wherein a very similar image was shared with the caption: “A photo of a COVID patient in intensive care. A picture is worth a thousand words. A thousand words that doctors feel many won’t read anyway.”
The image, which was shared by a Kuwaiti pediatric nephrologist, actually shows an intubated elderly Covid-19 patient. A comparison of the October 2020 image and the photo showing Sharaa revealed that everything — the background, hospital bed, and medical tubes — remained the same, with only the patient’s face digitally altered using AI.
Moreover, a keyword search conducted on an assassination attempt on Al Sharaa yielded a recent appearance of Al Sharaa in Damascus, where he appeared to be perfectly fine.
The video was uploaded by a Syrian user on Jan 6, after the rumours of the Syrian president’s assassination attempt. Multiple Middle Eastern mainstream media outlets such as Al Arabiya English, Royal News English, The Media Lines and Middle Eastern Monitor also reported the authenticity of the video and debunked the claims of Ahmed al Sharaa’s assassination attempt.
Furthermore, during the investigation, it was found that the Syrian Ministry of Interior also issued an official statement regarding the increasing public speculation about the whereabouts of Ahmed al Sharaa (known as al-Julani).
The statement confirmed that Sharaa is in good health; however, it was later removed from official channels.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE
The claim that a viral image shows Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa on a hospital bed following an alleged assassination attempt is false.
The image is doctored through AI.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
Oct 17, 2020, X post:
https://x.com/fahadbuhamed/status/1317504993491111947
Jan 5, 2026, Ta’akkad article:
https://www.verify-sy.com/ar/factcheck/interior-ministry-statement-media-appearance
Jan 6, 2026, Al-Arabiya English YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ppw1fqNbzEc
Jan 6, 2026, Royal News English YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/00Vb6kC9tRk
Jan 6, 2026, Middle East Monitor news article: