On Oct. 17, 2023, the Gazan Health Ministry (run by Hamas) reported the death of over 500 Gazans due to an Israeli airstrike at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital where many sought refuge. Many major news networks quickly ran headlines crediting the attack to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) quickly denied the reports, instead suggesting a failed Palestinian Islamic Jihad launch as the cause. Within the next 24 hours, images of the aftermath were spread around social media. These images appeared to show that the parking lot of the hospital was struck, not the building itself. The images make it clear that there was only a small amount of structural damage to the hospital. Since the explosion, the U.S. Intelligence community has lowered the estimated death toll to 100-300 casualties. 

It is now widely agreed that Israel was not responsible for the explosion. President Biden says “the data [he] was shown by [his] defense department” gives him confidence to believe it was not an Israeli missile. In footage of the aftermath at the hospital, no big craters were found, invalidating claims that it must have been an Israeli missile due the size of the damage. Many videos showing the “failed launch” were shared to X by official Israeli accounts such as the IDF, official spokespersons and others. The videos were quickly proved not to be accurate due to time stamps, locations and other factors, leading to a sustained distrust of Israel by many on the platform. Rumors of an Israeli evacuation order at the hospital are not able to be verified. Massive outrage around the world has caused multiple U.S. embassies to be attacked by thousands of protesters, many using rocks and molotov cocktails (bottles of liquor lit on fire) as tools of force. The attacks also inspired protesters to illegally enter the United States Capitol Building on Oct. 18, where over 300 people were arrested by Capitol Police. 

This is an example of premature reporting from most major news outlets, resulting in mass outrage across the globe and potential long term damage to the people’s trust and perceptions of Israel, the United States and the news itself. The fog of war is dangerous and propaganda (from both sides) is common.