Rumors about the death of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi have been circulating widely on social media following a Hezbollah drone attack near the Binyamina area in Israel on Sunday evening, report the Jerusalem Post.
These false reports quickly gained traction after the attack, which resulted in over 60 injuries. The hashtag "Halevi Assassination Reports" began trending on X (formerly Twitter) as accounts with large followings fueled speculation about his death.
Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis, a verified social media personality with over a million followers, falsely claimed that Halevi`s death had been confirmed. She shared a post stating, "Initial reports confirm the assassination of Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi," along with a photo of him.
American commentator Jackson Hinkle, who has over 2 million followers on X and is known for his anti-Israel stance, also shared unverified reports claiming that Halevi had been assassinated using "advanced Fiber-Optic Drones."
A verified account named SilencedSirs contributed to the rumors by posting a fake graphic showing Israeli commanders with a red X over Halevi’s face, labeling him as "eliminated."
Similarly, researcher and journalist Sulaiman Ahmed, who has more than half a million followers, also spread false news, citing "unconfirmed reports."
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