How Israeli Propagandists Used X’s Location Feature To Target a Gaza Journalist

Following the introduction of X’s new feature that displays a user’s account location, Israeli and American propagandists launched a campaign aimed at discrediting Palestinian journalists.

They claimed that reporters covering Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza were actually outside the Strip.

The campaign specifically targeted journalist Motasem Dalloul, who tragically lost his wife and two sons during the Israeli war on Gaza after his X profile showed his location as Poland, prompting accusations that he was reporting from abroad.

Propagandists Use Misleading X Location Data to Smear Gaza Journalist

The wave began when users, often known for promoting Israeli propaganda, shared screenshots from Dalloul’s account following the rollout of X’s new feature. The screenshots appeared to show his account as being based in Poland and connected through the United Kingdom’s App Store.

The propagandists claimed that Dalloul is a “fake journalist,” even calling for his deportation from his alleged location in Poland.

The claim was later amplified by the official Israeli Foreign Ministry account on X, which shared a screenshot of Dalloul’s alleged location, claiming that “196,900 followers are being lied to by a fake journalist claiming to be in Gaza. X’s new feature reveals his actual location is Poland.” The post also implied that “reporting from Gaza is fake & not reliable,” adding: “Makes you wonder how many more fake reports you have read?”

The tweet reached nearly 2 million users, significantly spreading the false narrative.

It is also worth noting that all the screenshots shared in this wave did not include the label indicating that the location might be affected by factors such as VPNs, travel, or location changes, which appears when viewing Dalloul’s account information.

Videos From Gaza Confirm Journalist Dalloul’s Presence

To refute all of the claims, Dalloul posted a video from Gaza, directly addressing the wave of propaganda. Dalloul showed the surroundings destroyed by the Israeli war on Gaza, including refugee tents, and asked, “Do you recognize buildings and tent camps like this in Poland?”

Despite this, some users in the comments accused Dalloul of doctoring the video or using a green screen to film it, even though it shows no evidence or signs of any doctored or otherwise altered content.

Some users even shared a photo allegedly showing Dalloul in Poland, implying that “he appeared much happier there.”

Dalloul denied the image, stating that it was AI-generated. However, Misbar's team found that the photo was originally posted by @iamdocgelo on Instagram six months ago, documenting his time touring around Poland.

Journalist Dalloul Posted Video Verifying His Location in Gaza

Once again, Dalloul posted a new video from Gaza, directly addressing the claims. Dalloul filmed a video amid the rubble of his house, now replaced by three tents, explaining that he has lived in Gaza all his life, except for 2012, when he pursued his master’s degree in international journalism in London.

Despite that, Dalloul was once again accused of doctoring the video using a green screen, with some users claiming he did not interact with anything in the background, even though there were clear signs indicating the video’s authenticity.

Some prominent signs supporting the authenticity of the video include a young girl walking near the tent on the right side of the screen, behind Dalloul. The shadow analysis in the video also provides multiple indicators confirming that the footage is authentic and filmed outdoors under natural sunlight.

The shadow visible on the tent behind Dalloul is cast by his head and shoulders, which is consistent with the sun being positioned above and to the left, causing his body to block the light and project a silhouette to the right. Similarly, the shadow on his jacket results from his chin and lower face, with the same light angle causing the shadow to fall downward and slightly to the right onto his collar. In the video, this shadow shifts subtly as Dalloul moves, demonstrating that it is responding naturally to his motion and is not artificially added, edited, or digitally generated.

Additional visual cues confirm the direction of the sunlight, including the brighter illumination on the left side of his face and the consistent rightward shadows cast by background elements such as tents and poles. Small elements, like flies moving naturally in the frame, further support that the scene is real and not digitally altered.

All of these details support the conclusion that the video was filmed in a real outdoor environment and not created using a green screen or digital manipulation.

Why Did X Misreport the Location of Journalist Dalloul?

On 24 November, Dalloul was a guest on “The Mael Podcast,” hosted by Jewish student and writer Daniel Mael.

The same background of rubble and tents was visible behind Dalloul, and in the first minute, a child can be seen entering a tent. This once again confirms that Dalloul was not using any kind of artificial background or green screen.

However, Dalloul explains that his location is most likely showing Poland because he uses an eSIM to access the internet, as much of the infrastructure in Gaza was destroyed during Israel’s war.

Dalloul once again emphasizes that the only time he has been outside Gaza was in 2012, when he went to pursue his master’s degree in London. He also notes that he created his X account during that time, which explains why it shows as being connected through the U.K.’s App Store.

How Reliable Is X’s Location Feature?

In a previous blog, Misbar's team had already raised concerns about X’s new Location Transparency feature.

The tool has sparked controversy by revealing unexpected locations for several political influencers around the world. Some users also complained that their “About this account” section contained inaccurate information, and for some, the feature temporarily vanished due to these complaints.

X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, also addressed a user’s question asking, “Why was the feature shut off immediately after launch?” He explained that it was disabled for a very small subset of older accounts because the account creation country was incorrect due to IP ranges changing over time.

Bier also responded to a post he initially shared when announcing the rollout of the feature, stating, “There are a few rough edges that will be resolved by Tuesday.” He added, “If any data is incorrect, it will be updated periodically based on the best available information. This happens on a delayed and randomized schedule to preserve privacy.”

All of this demonstrates that, to this day, X’s location feature remains inaccurate and widely questioned, with technical limitations and external factors continuing to cast doubt on its reliability.

Israeli Claims Draw Renewed Attention to Propaganda Efforts Abroad

Despite all the evidence presented by Dalloul, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has not retracted or corrected its claims about his location, drawing significant criticism.

Ironically, the accusation has brought renewed attention to reporting indicating that many of the most active pro-Israel accounts on social media are not actually based in Israel, but in countries like India and others.

A 2023 investigation by The New Arab revealed that Indian right-wing and Hindu-nationalist networks play a central role in amplifying pro-Israel disinformation and anti-Palestinian messaging. The report described India as a major hub for a global pro-Israel disinformation ecosystem, generating large volumes of viral content that frequently attack Palestinians, spread unverified claims, and reflect narratives promoted by Israeli officials.

Likewise, coverage from Euronews and The Diplomat shows that many Indian accounts, often connected to Hindu-nationalist politics, circulate posts and videos suggesting Palestinians are faking injuries or fabricating atrocities—claims that fact-checkers have repeatedly debunked.

NDTV has also reported that conflict-related disinformation, much of it favoring Israel, has become a monetized business on X, with influencers in India and elsewhere earning income through sensationalized or misleading content about the conflict.

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