Algerian media outlets close to the regime, as well as a group of Algerian accounts on social media widely circulated false reports claiming that 4,000 Moroccan soldiers participated alongside Israel in its war against Gaza this week.
Claiming this involvement as part of a so-called “joint defense agreement between the two countries,” Algerian media based their reports on a “news story” they claim was published by Qatari network Al-Jazeera quoting an Israeli military source, who in turn allegedly quotes a Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot quoting “an unnamed Israeli military source.”
Algerian media then circulated a picture of a deceased IDF soldier, published by Hamas’ Qassam Brigades killed during an ambush in the Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming the soldier was a Moroccan national.
Later in the week, counter-misinformation and fake news fact checking platform Misbar stated that “participation of elements of the Moroccan army in the war in the Middle East” is a fake and fabricated story, revealing there has been no reports fromeither Al-Jazeera or Yediot Aharonot about the fabricated case.
“This fake news was circulated weeks ago by a group of accounts affiliated with regime loyalists, but it was adopted by semi-official media outlets, and the focus on this topic comes in the context of the high level of internal anger and popular discontent with the regime’s policies in many states,” said Chawki Ben Zahra, an Algerian opposition political activist.
Mohammed Atif, a researcher in international relations and international law, explained to Hespress that “spreading such a rumor is nothing more than a desperate attempt to outbid the position of Rabat and the position of the Moroccan people vis-à-vis the Palestinian cause, which has been expressed with historical clarity and responsibility.”
Following the false Algerian reports, which unfortunately went viral across the region, Moroccan accounts then started sharing an image of an Algerian identification card, who’s owner faintly resembles the dead IDF soldier.
Accounts shared the image claiming that, the killed IDF soldier is an Algerian mercenary, participating in the Israeli agression on Gaza alongside the Israeli army.
The claim was not reported by Moroccan media outlets.
Once again, the Misbar platform came out and clarified that the ID picture was first published online back in December 14, 2017 in a local Algerian Facebook page, as it was found on the street, and the original poster was attempting to find its owner and return it to him.
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