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IDF chief Herzi Halevi was not killed by Hezbollah drones

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IDF chief Herzi Halevi was not killed by Hezbollah drones

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The Claim: Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Killed in Hezbollah Attack

An Oct. 13 Facebook post ( direct link , link to archive ) shows a red X drawn over a photo of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi along with a red dot at the front

“HEZBOLLAH ASSASSINATED Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi Using Advanced Fiber Optic Drones,” reads the post’s headline in part.

An earlier version of the claim got more than 4,000 likes in three days before it was taken down. Other versions of the claim were shared on X, formerly Twitter.

More from the data verification team: How we choose and investigate claims | Electronic newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

Halevi was not killed in the Hezbollah attack referenced in the post. He made a public appearance a day after sharing the post.

Photos show Halevi the day after the drone attack

Hezbollah launched a fleet of drones at an Israeli military base on October 13, killing four soldiers and wounding 61. The Iran-backed militant group said it used the “swarm” of drones to attack a camp used by Israel’s Golani Brigade in Binyamina. , about 35 miles north of Tel Aviv.

But the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces was not one of the four people killed.

The IDF shared a photo on X of Halevi visiting the base on October 14, the day after the Facebook post. The photo was also published by The Times of Israel.

Checking the facts: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is alive, unharmed in Iran attack

Getty Images released two other photos of Halevi visiting the base on the same day.

The author of the post did not provide evidence to support the claim that Hezbollah killed Halevi when contacted by USA TODAY.

USA TODAY reached out to the IDF and the user who shared the post for comment, but did not immediately hear back.

AFP also denied the claim.

Our fact-checking sources:

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