Rumors of IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi's death have circulated widely throughout social media following the Hezbollah drone attack that hit Israel near the Binyamina area on Sunday evening.
The fake reports regarding Halevi began to spread rapidly after the incident that left over 60 people wounded. Halevi was not killed in the attack, and only arrived at the area after the attack to speak with military and medical officials, Israeli media widely reported.
"Halevi Assassination Reports" began to trend on the X/Twitter platform shortly after the incident, as X accounts with vast followings began to share their theories regarding Halevi's death.
Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis, a verified social media figure with over a million followers, posted that Halevi's death was confirmed. Again, this is false.
"Initial reports confirm the assassination of Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi," Loupis wrote and shared a picture of the IDF chief of staff.
BREAKINGInitial reports confirm the assassination of Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi. pic.twitter.com/le7xTvtlXZ
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis) October 13, 2024
Claims of Halvei's assassination
Following the trend, American commentator Jackson Hinkle posted on X that Halevi was assassinated, according to unconfirmed reports.
Hinkle added that Halevi's assassination was conducted through the usage of "advanced Friber-Optic Drones."
BREAKING: Unconfirmed reports that HEZBOLLAH ASSASSINATED Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, using advanced Fiber-Optic Drones. pic.twitter.com/uvsoTcBn1H
— Jackson Hinkle (@jacksonhinklle) October 13, 2024
Hinkle's current following on X stands at over 2 million followers, and he has been highly vocal about his anti-Israel views throughout the war.
Additionally, the verified account SilencedSirs posted a picture of a fake graphic that showed the top commanders of the Israeli army and government with a large red x over Halevi's face, appearing beneath the word "eliminated."
BREAKING: HERZI HALEVI ISRAELI CHEIF OF STAFF HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED pic.twitter.com/cn2NDWsCKt
— SilencedSirs◼️ (@SilentlySirs) October 13, 2024
Furthermore, researcher and journalist Sulaiman Ahmed, with a following of over half a million followers, also shared the fake news about Halevi's death, crediting "unconfirmed reports."