A message published to the Telegram channel Middle East Spectator on Sunday falsely claimed that missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel, prompting a wave of alarm across Israeli media before the post was exposed as a hoax.
The channel, which reports on news and developments throughout the Middle East, initially stated that sources in Iran had informed it of an imminent missile attack targeting Israel. Several Hebrew-language media outlets picked up the message and republished it without independent verification.
Shortly afterward, the channel’s administrator issued a clarification admitting that the report was fabricated.
“Okay, I have to admit something,” the administrator wrote. “I made up the news about Iranian missile launchers just to see the Israeli reaction. And I must say, the immediate hysteria in the Hebrew media is funny.”
He continued: “Three different Hebrew-language outlets immediately republished my report without fact-checking. They even considered opening shelters. This just proves my point: Time and again, there are outlets that publish things, sometimes on important issues like the Iranian matter, without verifying facts, only to gain followers, likes, and shares.”
The administrator went on to defend the channel’s broader reporting practices: “In the group, I will always try to publish only what I am sure of, after checks and cross-referencing with different sources, in order to give you the most reliable, truthful, and fast reports. And of course, even if I am wrong (we are all human), I will always apologize and correct.”
Israeli officials deny the report
The post quickly circulated online and was widely shared before being discredited. The uproar reached Israeli officials, with diplomatic sources confirming that no such threat had been identified.
“Contrary to reports from Iran, no threat has been identified at this stage,” an Israeli diplomatic official said.