New X location tool exposes fake Gaza accounts taking advantage of war by seeking donations
At least some accounts on X profiting off the war in Gaza have been revealed to be fueled by people outside the zone, according to the platform’s new location feature. AFP via Getty Image
A recently introduced location feature on X has revealed that many users claiming to post from inside Gaza are actually based elsewhere, exploiting the ongoing conflict for donations.
The social-media platform rolled out the tool to publicly display key background information about accounts, including their location. Since its launch, it has uncovered a network of accounts taking advantage of disasters and political unrest worldwide, including in the war-torn Gaza Strip. “The new X feature has ripped the mask off countless fake ‘Gazan’ accounts,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Some are posting from Pakistan, others from London or elsewhere, all claiming to be suffering in Gaza while comfortably sitting in coffee shops far away,” the statement added.
One example flagged by the tool is user Yasmine.muhamsd, who presents herself as a mother in Gaza struggling to survive with her children. Many of her posts include images of a crying Palestinian woman holding a hungry newborn while pleading for donations. However, X’s location marker identified the account as being based in India. The account removed all its posts following the location tool’s rollout over the weekend.
Another account, allegedly belonging to a Palestinian father named Mahmoud Salma, claims to chronicle the dangers of raising his two daughters under constant Israeli bombardments. The X account appears to impersonate the real Salma family, linking to a separate donation page rather than the official one, and is flagged as being based in the United Kingdom.
Even journalists are not immune. Mostasem A Dalloul, who works in Gaza, was flagged by the location tool as being in Poland, prompting accusations from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that he was spreading fake news. Dalloul responded Saturday with a video in which he mockingly walked through a destroyed neighborhood, questioning whether such destruction exists in Poland.
X has cautioned that the country or region shown for an account “may not be accurate and can change periodically.”
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