A new transparency tool on X has exposed a wide network of deceptive accounts shaping online conversations about Israel, Gaza, and Jews.
The update shows each user’s app store region and login location, giving the public a clearer view of who stands behind viral posts.
The findings highlight ongoing foreign influence campaigns and coordinated disinformation efforts aimed at Western audiences.
False “Gaza” Locations Revealed
Since the feature launched, users have uncovered major mismatches between claimed and actual locations.
The Times of Gaza, with nearly one million followers, claims to report from “Palestine.” X shows activity from the East Asia and Pacific region and use of a North African app store. Gaza Now Arabic operates from Turkey. Popular commentator Mohammad Smiry, who posts daily about “life under occupation,” appears to log in from Indonesia.
Personal accounts showing dramatic scenes of hunger and bombardment display the same pattern. “Ameer in Gaza,” who seeks donations, posts from the UK. “Mahmoud in Gaza” is based in the Netherlands. A GoFundMe campaign linked to a profile under the name Dima Alghrbawi raised over $34,000, yet indicators tie the account to Nigeria.
Many profiles posing as “ordinary Gazans” seeking urgent aid appear to operate from North Africa, Nigeria, India, Canada, or Europe.
This is simply incredible!
X just started revealing where X users' accounts are from, and it has revealed quite a few accounts that presented themselves as people in Gaza who published directly to the world what they went through there during the war. In actuality, these accounts… pic.twitter.com/uM1BSA6sz5— יוסף חדאד – Yoseph Haddad (@YosephHaddad) November 23, 2025
Foreign Networks Targeting US Audiences
The update also exposed large anonymous accounts posing as Americans while pushing antisemitic or anti-Israel narratives.
“The General,” a major far-right account with strong anti-Israel messaging, claims U.S. ties but posts from Turkey. X’s Readers Notes now flag the location on each post.
Several “America First” and “Groyper-style” accounts follow the same pattern.
These findings confirm years of warnings: foreign actors often impersonate Americans to distort U.S. debates about Israel and to inject antisemitic conspiracy theories into mainstream conversations.
Iranian Regime-Linked Users and Hidden Activists
The feature also sheds light on unusual patterns among accounts labeled as Iranian.
X remains blocked in Iran. Users who access the platform through an Iranian app store often enjoy regime approval. At the same time, several anti-regime activists — some pro-Israel — appear to post from inside Iran but use VPNs for safety. Their app store registration remains Iranian, while their login location displays foreign countries with warning markers.
Officials and Analysts Welcome Greater Transparency
Israel’s Foreign Ministry praised X for exposing accounts that pretend to report from Gaza while living abroad.
“Some chap posting from Pakistan, another in London,” the ministry wrote. “All claiming to be suffering in Gaza while in the comfort of some coffee shop far away.”
Middle East analyst Eitan Fischberger, who tracked many of the discoveries, said the update confirmed long-running concerns.
“Claims like ‘America is occupied by Zionists’ or that Jeffrey Epstein was an Israeli agent didn’t just appear organically,” he said. “They were designed to sever the historic, unparalleled U.S.-Israel partnership.”
He noted that many of the loudest accounts pushing these narratives “aren’t even based in the United States.” He added: “It confirms what many of us suspected. A huge portion of this conversation has been astroturfed, not grassroots.”
A Needed Step Toward Transparency
X’s new tool has already changed the online landscape. Users can now see that many influential profiles built their authority on fabricated identities. As misinformation about Israel and Jews spreads at alarming speed, verifying the origins of these accounts has become essential.
