On October 10, 2023, the i24 News Channel claimed in its English version website that Hamas fighters had brutally slaughtered 40 Israeli babies. According to the claim, most of them were beheaded in the Kfar Aza settlement, near the Gaza Strip border fence, during the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, that launched by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, on Saturday, October 7, 2023.
It should be noted that these allegations were made by i24 News correspondent Nicole Zedek, in a report she prepared in Kfar Aza settlement. Also, Zedek mentioned that she had spoken to Israeli soldiers who claimed that they had seen beheaded babies.
The i24 News Channel posted the report on its X-platform page, and pinned that report at the top of its page, and the report gained wide popularity and views exceeded nine million.
Additionally, the i24 News Channel also published an article reporting that 40 babies were killed by Hamas fighters in Kfar Aza settlement during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
i24 News Channel Publishes Fake News of Hamas Fighters Killing 40 Israeli Babies
Misbar investigated the viral claim as it was propagated by international media channels, especially in the United States. However, it is worth noting that the viral claim was not circulated in Israeli media, which is doubtful. If such news were true, it would have widely spread in prominent Israeli channels, such as the 12, 13, and 11 channels, as well as in well-known Hebrew newspapers.
Approximately four hours after the news disseminated, the Anadolu Agency asked the Israeli army about the reality of beheaded babies. The spokesman stated the he did not know any information regarding that incident, and this contradicts the claims made by the i24 News channel correspondent, Nicole Zedek, who was part of reporters that conducted a tour in Kfar Aza settlement accompanied by Israeli soldiers.
Newspapers and Media Outlets Publish News of Killing 40 Israeli Babies without Verification
Numerous international media outlets, including The Independent, Fox News, Insider, The New York Post, NDTV, and others, disseminated the news, attributing it to the channel, without verifying its accuracy or questioning its validity.
Furthermore, the news gained significant traction on social media platforms, particularly on X, including official Israeli accounts. However, some newspapers and media outlets retracted the news after Anadolu Agency reported the Israeli army's denial of any knowledge of the alleged "massacre."
i24 News Channel
i24 News is a private television channel that broadcasts in three languages, English, Arabic, and French. It is based in Jaffa Port. In addition, the channel is owned by the Israeli-French businessman and millionaire Patrick Drahi, and it primarily targets the Arabic-speaking audience outside Palestine through its Arabic channel.
Israel Continues Aggression on Gaza Strip After Operation Al-Aqsa Flood
The news broke amidst global media coverage of the war declared by Israel on Gaza Strip After Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, announced by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, on Saturday, October 7, 2023. This operation began by firing thousands of rockets into occupied Palestinian territories. In addition, Hamas fighters infiltrated settlements near Gaza, where they captured dozens of Israeli soldiers and settlers.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza Strip, the number of casualties due to the Israeli aggression have exceeded 940 martyrs, and more than 5,000 individuals have suffered various injuries.
Biden Spreads Disinformation About Decapitated Babies
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed shock and sorrow over seeing and confirming images of child beheadings by Hamas militants, maintaining that the assault witnessed on Saturday was "the most lethal day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust."
In the wake of the assault, assertions about Israeli children being decapitated and hostages being sexually assaulted by a Palestinian militant group have proliferated on social media yet remain unverified.
In a subsequent query from The Washington Post, a representative from the White House noted that the president's statements were derived from journalistic reports and Israeli government declarations.
The Post subsequently reported that “a spokesperson from the White House clarified that neither U.S. officials nor the president had visually confirmed such incidents independently."
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