Old photo circulates as Israeli tank surrounded by cage after Khan Yunis ambush

A photo of a tank covered in a cage has been circulating on social media, with claims that it documents the actions of the Israeli occupation army following the Khan Yunis ambush, in which al-Qassam Brigades fighter threw an explosive device into an Israeli army armored personnel carrier, “The tanks of the Israeli infiltrated army.” 

Kashif verified the image through via Google Images search and found it to be old and the claim misleading. It was taken from a video that went viral in October 2023 and was claimed to show an anti-drone cage surrounding a Russian tank.  

Kashif found that the image was taken from a video posted by accounts including “Special Kherson Cat” on X platform on 8 October 2023, accompanied by the following description: “A column of Russian T-62 tanks and a single BTS-4 vehicle, equipped with very large anti-drone cages.” 

Forbes also published a photo of the same tank on 9 October 2023, in a report titled: “Russians are covering their old T-62 tanks with anti-drone armor, from the track to the turret.” The report noted that “the cage armor doubles the tank’s bulk and significantly impedes its turret’s rotation and camouflage capabilities.” 

Thee Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, that it had carried out a complex ambush targeting an Israeli military force in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. The Brigades confirmed that the force “was killed and wounded.” Meanwhile, the Israeli army acknowledged the deaths of an officer and six soldiers, and the injury of 16 others from the 605th Combat Engineering Battalion, in the Khan Yunis ambush.

The Qassam Brigades broadcast footage of the ambush, showing one of its fighters throwing a Shawaaz explosive device into a troop stretcher. The footage was widely circulated on social media platforms.