A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign criticised congresswoman Ilhan Omar in a tweet, alongside footage which she claimed showed a rocket attack on Israel by Hamas, but was actually taken a number of years ago in Ukraine.

Katrina Pierson, who made headlines earlier this year for comparing Democrats to the Ku Klux Klan, questioned Ms Omar's reaction to the violence in Gaza.

She wrote that "650 Rockets" were being fired into Israel from Gaza "in an attempt to overwhelm Israels Iron Dome."

She then asked what Ms Omar's response was to the violence. "Will she condemn this violence?”

The footage accompanying her tweet however, was not recently taken in Gaza, where militants have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel in recent days.

Instead it was apparently filmed in 2015 in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, which has been mired in fighting between government and separatist forces since 2014.

At the time of publication, the tweet had still not been deleted. Ms Pierson instead incorrectly claimed 17 hours after the initial post that the video was a “gif” and that she used the footage to “underscore what hundreds of rockets would look like to Americans”.

Ms Omar, one the first two Muslim women to enter the US Congress responded to the “fake news”, which she said was an example of a “vilification ploy” against her by Trump officials.

“Whenever Trump or a member of his administration attacks me, I know it's because they are losing the policy debate. I'm fighting for progressive policies that will benefit all people. Our movement cannot be stopped because we have the support of the people!” she said.

The Democratic congresswoman later tweeted about the conflict in Gaza, and appeared to criticise both sides for the violence.

“How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?” she tweeted. “The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace.”

The row came amid the worst outbreak of violence in the region in years, which erupted on Friday and peaked on Sunday when rockets and missiles from Hamas-run Gaza killed four civilians in southern Israel, local health officials said.

Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights Show all 7 1 /7 Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights An Israeli soldier stands next to signs pointing out distances to different cities on Mount Bental, an observation post in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Reuters Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights Druze people take part in a rally in Majdal Shams near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria Reuters Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights Israeli Druzes sit together watching the Syrian side of the Israel-Syria border on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Reuters Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights A European member of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) using binoculars to look towards the Syrian side of the Golan Heights AFP/Getty Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights A file photo taken on October 19, 1973 shows Israeli Defence Minister General Moshe Dayan (R) looking towards the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, four days after the beginning of the Yom Kippur War AFP/Getty Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights A file photo taken on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on September 5, 2014 shows members of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone (UNDOF) using binoculars to look towards the Syrian side of the Golan Heights AFP/Getty Trump backs Israel’s annexation of Golan Heights Members of the United Nations peacekeepers standing on a watch tower during a visit by the Israeli Defence Minister in 2018 AFP/Getty

Israeli strikes killed 21 Palestinians, over half of them civilians, at the weekend, Gaza health authorities said.

A ceasefire to end the surge of violence took hold on Monday.