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IDF: ‘ABC’ report on ‘harrowing’ Gaza leaflets is fake news

The U.S. network claimed Israel distributed pamphlets saying “the world map will not change if all the people of Gaza vanish.”

Hamas, Islamic Jihad
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists, as well as thousands of additional Gazans, in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Mozes, along with five Thai captives, were released to the Red Cross on Jan. 30, 2025. Photo by Abed Rahim Khaatib/Flash90.

The Israel Defense Forces issued a categorical denial regarding a report published by U.S. television network ABC on Wednesday, which claimed that Israel had dropped leaflets over Gaza stating that “the world map will not change if all the people of Gaza vanish.”

The report was featured in an ABC story focused on the war in the Gaza Strip.

The alleged message, which ABC characterized as “harrowing,” reportedly contained statements including “Trump’s Gaza plan—which will impose your forced displacement whether you like it or not.”

The purported leaflet also stated, “We have decided to make a final appeal to those who wish to receive aid in exchange for cooperating with us.”

The purported leaflet. Credit: Israel Hayom.
The purported leaflet. Credit: Israel Hayom.

According to ABC, the leaflet concluded with the statement: “No one will feel for you, and no one will ask about you. You are left alone to face your inevitable fate.” The network failed to provide any verified evidence of the leaflet’s veracity.

The outlet later deleted the claim, adding an editor’s note on Thursday that read: “An earlier version of this article said that the IDF had dropped leaflets with disturbing messaging. ABC News has not been able to confirm the authenticity of these leaflets. The IDF denies dropping these leaflets.”

Social media platforms circulated what appears to be a fabricated document written in Arabic and bearing an Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) logo. This document stands in stark contrast to legitimate communications issued by IDF Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee, whose messages have called on Gaza residents to evacuate active combat zones for their safety.

The IDF has firmly rejected these reports, emphasizing that the document referenced in the ABC report is entirely fabricated.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

Neta Bar reports on Israeli culture, community life, and societal developments at JNS.org.
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