{
  "id": 16521760,
  "title": "Behind the scenes on how IDF got its biggest ‘hasbara’ win of the war - exclusive",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/behind-the-scenes-on-how-idf-got-its-biggest-hasbara-win-of-the-war",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T21:28:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-912841"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 17, 2023, during Israel's war against Hamas, IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari was scheduled to deliver a daily update. Unbeknownst to him, a female officer whispered that reports of a hospital explosion had emerged, likely due to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad's rocket barrage. The IDF Spokesperson's Office decided to investigate before making any official statements. Initially, Hamas claimed 500 Palestinian civilians were killed, and the news spread globally. IDF officials worked to confirm the reports through open sources and intelligence. Despite initial pressure to deny the allegations, the IDF insisted on gathering facts. The situation was tense, as US President Joe Biden was heading to the Middle East for a summit. The IDF's air force later confirmed that an Israeli bomb had been fired near the hospital, but it was misfired from a cemetery. Hamas operatives later admitted to the misfire, and the IDF published the intercepted communications, stating that Islamic Jihad had fired the rockets that hit the hospital. However, the world's reaction remained largely unchanged, with little impact on the ongoing conflict.",
  "summary": "Inside the IDF's race to uncover evidence behind the al-Ahli hospital blast, counter Hamas's claims, and restore credibility as Biden flew to Israel.",
  "key_points": [
    "IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari prepared daily update on October 17, 2023.",
    "Female officer reported potential hospital explosion from Hamas rocket barrage.",
    "IDF investigated claim, later confirmed Israeli bomb misfired near hospital."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}