10 widely reported and controversial claims by Israel since the start of Gaza war in October 7

Since October 7, following the Hamas attack on Israel, which claimed the lives of 1,160 victims, images of the massacre flooded across the news outlets and social media. Israel has accused Hamas on several occasions of spreading false information regarding its war to make it seem like a genocide. But gradually, the West and even the US are agreeing that the aforementioned war bore the imprints of ethnic cleansing. Here are the top 10 claims made by Israeli officials or the IDF since October 7 that have been challenged, debunked or questioned by journalists or rights groups

1. 40 Beheaded babies - In the aftermath of the Hamas attack, a rumour surfaced which claimed that 40 babies were beheaded in the Kfar Aza Kibbutz. The rumour originated with reports from Israeli commanders and members of civilian rescue groups who were interviewed by i24NEWS journalist Nicole Zedeck at the site. The Israeli government's press office, when contacted by French outlet Le Monde, said there were no decapitated babies. When CNN visited the location did not find any evidence of a beheaded youth, and the IDF did not release any pictures of the attack.
2. The war is all about hostages- The Israeli Government has repeatedly claimed that the war is all about the hostages, it's all about getting them home. Multiple reports suggest that Hamas have offered the release of all civilian hostages by October 9 and 10, on the condition that the Israeli military will not enter the Gaza Strip and release all the Palestinian prisoners. Israel rejected that offer and determined to go ahead with the military campaign to dismantle Hamas. Israeli ministers keep saying again and again that hostages are not their priority.
3. Hamas headquarter in Al-Shifa hospital- The IDF have claimed that Al-Shifa hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, hosts a major command centre of Hamas, and it uses this infrastructure to carry out its operations, and these claims were used to explain the attack on the hospital. The United States, particularly the White House and its intelligence, have supported these claims, claiming that they have proof Hamas uses Al-Shifa hospital and other hospitals have been used as a command centre by Hamas. The evidence provided by the IDF is inconclusive. Media outlets such as CNN, AP, The Guardian and Al Jazeera questioned the evidence provided by the IDF, such as Weaponry & Equipment and images and videos of tunnels. The tunnel found had no direct links with the hospital. The videos showing tunnels didn't fully prove the initial claims, and one report concluded that rooms connected to a tunnel network showed "no immediate evidence of military use by Hamas"

4.Hamas misfired the Al-Ahli hospital rocket- Israel have been accused of attacking Al-Alhil hospital, it claimed that Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and heat the hospital. Initial report criticised IDF, the Israeli military presented ,audio and video evidence — some of which was later found to be questionable or out of context.

5. Hamas stealing the aid- The Israeli government, Netanyahu himself, has repeatedly accused Hamas of stealing aid going into Gaza. But according to The New York Times, the Israeli Military officials have found no proof of that, and even USAID analysis found no evidence of aid diversion by Hamas.

6. Safe Zones for Civilians- Israel designated safe zones for babies and children to flee, but in reality, it bombed those same areas it called safe zones.

7. We don’t target Civilians- The IDF repeatedly targeted civilians and children. As of mid-2025, approximately 40,000 women and children have been killed. According to the UN and NGO, entire families and neighbourhoods have been wiped out.

8. UNRWA collaborated with Hamas- Israel alleged that UNRWA is a front for Hamas, which led to the funding cut of UNRWA from the US and other countries. The Wall Street Journal have admitted that Israeli claims lacked solid evidence.

9. 'We don't use Human shields, Hamas uses civilians as shields'- IDF claimed that Hamas uses human shields by hiding in civilian areas, the IDF have never used human shields. Multiple reports show that the IDF takes Palestinian hostages and uses them as human shields.

10. Massacre denial- Israel has been repeatedly accused of killing aid workers and people seeking aid. IDF have repeatedly denied these allegations, except Sky News investigation found that on March 23, 2025, five aid workers were killed. CNN investigation found that more than 100 aid seekers were killed, and more than 400 were injured.

Hamas too have made lots of unverified claims. Israel has accused international media of bias while journalists accuse Israel of not allowing free access to Gaza.