The Jewish Chronicle in the United Kingdom has removed a series of articles allegedly containing fabricated claims by Israeli officials regarding the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
Elon Perry, a reporter for the Jewish Chronicle, the oldest Jewish news outlet in the U.K., wrote several articles for the publication. One of these stories, citing “intelligence sources,” claimed that a document had been found in the Gaza Strip, allegedly revealing Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar’s plan to escape with Israeli hostages captured during the October 7, 2023, attacks, utilizing the Philadelphi Corridor as a route to Iran.
The article coincided with claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who used a similar rationale to justify keeping Israeli troops on the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, despite fierce political opposition. Many worried that this move could jeopardize a potential deal for the release of the hostages.
Given the similarity between Perry’s claims and Netanyahu’s statements, some have speculated that this could be part of a broader Israeli disinformation campaign.
Jewish Chronicle Investigation Into Elon Perry
The Jewish Chronicle published a statement announcing that it had wrapped up a “thorough investigation” into freelance writer Elon Perry.
“While we understand that he served in the Israel Forces, we were not satisfied with some of his claims,” said the Jewish Chronicle, without further elaboration. “We have therefore removed his stories from our website and ended any association with Mr. Perry.”
“We deeply regret the chain of events that led to this point. We apologize to our loyal readers and have reviewed our internal processes to ensure this will not be repeated,” the newspaper added.
The Israeli military recently announced that it is conducting an internal investigation after forged documents, allegedly recovered from the Gaza Strip, were leaked to foreign media outlets in an attempt to influence public opinion regarding the hostage negotiations.
When asked about the allegation, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said he was not aware of any intelligence indicating that Sinwar was planning to escape with the hostages.
Israel's Channel 12 TV conducted an investigation and reported that all “relevant sources in the security establishment” were unaware of the intelligence underlying Perry's story.
Elon Perry’s Background Under Scrutiny
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets began investigating Perry’s background. Although his profile on the Jewish Chronicle’s website claimed that he had worked as a journalist for 25 years, finding evidence to substantiate this was challenging.
The Guardian reported that several months ago, Elon Perry described himself as an Israeli journalist based in the U.K. who had begun contributing a series of reports allegedly based on Israeli intelligence sources. His articles were highly sensational, detailing Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip blow-by-blow, including what were considered sensitive details – and intelligence purportedly gathered by Israel on the fugitive Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his plans.
The Guardian reported that journalists covering the Gaza conflict, who were already skeptical about the accuracy of Perry’s articles, were unable to establish a meaningful record of Perry’s bona fides.
In recent months, Israeli media have suggested that stories published in European newspapers, including one in the German newspaper BILD, were based on false or distorted intelligence. These reports were alleged to have been planted as part of an effort to bolster Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s negotiating position on the war in Gaza.
An investigation by journalists in Israel and elsewhere has also shown that Perry’s claims about his background, including his supposed work as a journalist and academic, and parts of his military record, were false or questionable.
Netanyahu Stands by Israeli Forces’ Presence in Philadelphi Corridor
In a press conference for foreign media on September 4, Netanyahu stated that if the Gaza-Egypt border area, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, were not under Israeli military control, Sinwar might use it to escape, potentially taking hostages with him.
The Philadelphi Corridor is a contentious issue in the negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire agreement in exchange for hostages. Netanyahu has previously indicated that the goals of the ongoing war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, are linked to maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor and has stressed that the Israeli army will not withdraw from it. However, this stance has faced significant criticism from the opposition and security officials, who argue that Netanyahu's insistence on staying in the corridor is hindering any potential agreement for a prisoner exchange.
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