The sensational, unconfirmed allegations that Hamas beheaded several babies in the southern part of Israel continue to baffle with each development from the region only contributing to the chaos.
The reports first surfaced on Tuesday, days after the start of the latest conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas, and quickly spread.
As the old adage goes: “A lie can travel the world and back again while the truth is lacing up its boots.” And so it did. The allegation that Hamas beheaded dozens — some said 40 — of babies was shared by hundreds online, from news junkies to journalists repeating the claim, including on networks like CNN.
On Wednesday night, the claim made it into the address of U.S. President Joe Biden, who made remarks on the American support to Israel and how he was taken aback by the reports coming out of the Middle East.
“I never really thought that I would see…have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children,” Biden said.
A White House spokesperson quickly clarified, saying that neither U.S. officials nor the president had seen any pictures or confirmed reports independently, according to the Washington Post.
Biden’s apparent confirmation of the claims was based on the information shared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson and media reports, according to the White House.
As of Thursday, Netanyahu in a press address said that people had been beheaded by Hamas but did not confirm if and how many were children, according to several media outlets.
The photos released by his office on Thursday show one infant’s body stained with blood and two burnt bodies of babies.
The militant organization Hamas itself denied the allegations, suggesting they were spread “as an attempt to cover up the crimes and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation around the clock, most of which amount to war crimes and genocide.”
But how did this unverified story get so out of hand so quickly?
A journalist’s claim goes viral
The claims of babies’ heads being severed first sparked after a news reporter with a Tel Aviv-based network reported the death of 40 babies while broadcasting live from the ground in southern Israel, followed by The Independent’s coverage of the incident.
i24News Correspondent Nicole Zedeck reported that Israeli soldiers told her “they believe 40 babies/children were killed” at the Kfar Aza kibbutz near the Gaza border but whether she ever saw the bodies for herself remained a mystery.
Soon after came the Independent’s Bel Trew’s coverage, whose post on X also went viral after she published a report on “babies slaughtered” inside the border village and the correspondent was urged to clarify following backlash on her coverage.
“I just wanted to clarify that I did not tweet 40 babies had been beheaded. I tweeted that foreign media had been told women and children had been decapitated but we had not been shown bodies – which was my response to reports which had gone viral about the 40 babies. I realised the way my tweet was written was too short to explain the full context, so deleted it. My headline of my story references that toddlers were killed,” Trew clarified on X.
I just wanted to clarify that I did not tweet 40 babies had been beheaded. I tweeted that foreign media had been told women and children had been decapitated but we had not been shown bodies – which was my response to reports which had gone viral about the 40 babies. I realised… pic.twitter.com/RMYBSJ8BhL
— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) October 11, 2023
Other media organizations like Metro.co.uk and Fox News ran with the i24News report, which at that moment was “hearsay” at best, according to journalist Alastair Bostwick who posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Hamas beheading 40 babies” — is at best — Unconfirmed.
A single anon IDF commando telling a reporter ‘X’ happened — is not visual confirmation nor corroboration. ATM it’s hearsay.
Be extra careful of any narrative that confirms your view. https://t.co/OEsBaU0JaF pic.twitter.com/cHXn9QiCUB
— Alastair Bostwick (@BostWiki) October 10, 2023
It wasn’t until Sky News decided to “separate facts from speculation” that the world started to catch up and pump the brakes on jumping to wild conclusions.
Yet another article explaining how claims about 40 beheaded babies are misinformation being used against the Palestinians.
Link 👇 pic.twitter.com/KzhggOYo6h
— Daniel Haqiqatjou (@Haqiqatjou) October 11, 2023
Viral posts shared, repeated un-factchecked claim about ‘beheaded babies’
The story, though shocking, remains unconfirmed, and many users on and off social media — including celebrities, influencers and politicians, like U.S. President Joe Biden, though he later walked back his comment — repeated the un-factchecked claim. In the days since, even officials are refusing to clarify and confirm the claim.
Disinformation and digital media expert Marc Owen Jones said that the “unconfirmed report about 40 murdered babies had at least 44 million impressions, 300k likes, over 100k reposts, despite the original report never claimed 40 babies were decapitated” as of early on Oct. 11, according to a post by Middle East Eye on X.
Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation and digital media expert said that the unconfirmed report about 40 murdered babies have at least 44 million impressions, 300k likes, over 100k reposts, despite the original report never claimed 40 babies were decapitated
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 11, 2023
How to spot fake news about Israel, Hamas
Social media and fake news expert Brett Caraway shared valuable tips with Yahoo News Canada that can help users steer clear of manipulated content. “In the easiest sense, misinformation is your uncle posting.”
“Disinformation, on the other hand, is designed to mislead,” the University of Toronto professor said.
“My recommendation to social media users is to pause for a second and be patient. Even if you are trying to figure out the Middle East situation, be more introspective and try to read history. Don’t get caught up in the rush of believing or posting malicious content on the internet. Don’t be led by the innate human desire,” he added.
Psychologist Steve Joordens, whose expertise lies in new media and social impacts of technology, explained to Yahoo News Canada how fake news affects the general public.
“Anyone can post anything. What we find in our research – fake news, misinfo or disinformation often uses emotionality to hook us in,” the founder of the Advanced Learning Technologies Lab said.
“One of the tricks is to lead with something that’s really emotionally shocking. It even takes our brain to a place where it has never ever been before. That kicks in the flight or fight response- ‘40 babies being beheaded’ is exactly that headline. While taking in that information, the rational brain is not working as well therefore the whole process of deciding whether it’s fake news or not is not engaged.”
Journalists and other experts too shared their takes on how disinformation had gripped the online world in just a few hours as the tragic events unfolded in the Middle East.
So western journalists simply accepted without any evidence that Hamas beheaded 40 Israeli babies. It’s not like they don’t know there’s a precedent for this kind of disinformation.
Remember how a US ally spread lies in 1990 about Iraqi soldiers pulling babies from incubators https://t.co/GNV2S8ooOm
— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) October 11, 2023
While you are running around to debunk “40 babies beheaded” news, Israel has killed 150 children in Gaza, many would be unrecognisable to their parents after explosions.
This is the purpose of disinformation .
— Fuwad (@qalamaursyahi) October 11, 2023
🚨🚨🚨Have you ever heard about ‘atrocity propaganda’?🧐
“40 babies were beheaded” by Palestinians? Does anyone have any PROOF of that?
Before they murdered Gaddafi and destroyed 🇱🇾 Libya, the media and the United Nations said : “Gaddafi’s soldiers are given VIAGRA and ORDERED… pic.twitter.com/DEVe5gaOGs
— Kevin – WE THE PEOPLE❤️ – DAD🦁 🐉 🔥 (@bambkb) October 11, 2023