Reports concerning a Palestinian child's death from IDF fire in Gaza have been exposed as fabricated: Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Hamdan, eight years old, known by his nickname "Abboud", has been discovered alive and evacuated from Gaza alongside his mother, Fox News reported Thursday. The case, which stood at the center of grave accusations against Israel, now emerges as another example of false information dissemination during wartime.
The affair commenced in late May, when Anthony Aguilar, a former US special forces operative who served as a contractor and was dismissed from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), claimed, following his termination, that he witnessed the child being killed by IDF fire near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food distribution site. According to his account, the child – then referred to as "Amir" – arrived at the site carrying food bags, thanked him with a kiss on the hand and cheek, and ran back to his family. Aguilar recounted that shortly thereafter, chaos erupted, and following fire from the IDF, he discovered the child "dead from gunshots to the chest and leg."
His testimony was broadcast on major networks, published on MSNBC and Dialogue Works, and even transmitted directly to Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen. Within a brief period, "Abboud" became a symbol against the alleged "violations" by Israel and the foundation, which were suspected of collaboration in killing Palestinian civilians.
At GHF, they identified contradictions in Aguilar's testimony, who altered the location of the incident multiple times, and decided to initiate an independent investigation at the end of July. Through interviews with locals and cross-referencing biometric data and facial photos, the organization's representatives successfully located Abboud's mother, Najla, and the child himself. Both were identified with certainty, documented on cameras playing with organization personnel, and approximately two weeks ago were transferred in a covert operation to a protected distribution site.
Last weekend, under heavy security measures, the child, his mother, and additional family members were evacuated from Gaza to a secure location. "Being outside Gaza is nice," Abboud said excitedly, as translated by an organization representative.
MY STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF GHF:
When this lie was brazenly, cravenly shared from the press to the halls of Congress, our team set out to find this little boy — whatever it took. Not to show the truth or to prove our point, but to save the kid's life. These lies endangered his… https://t.co/Z7woxgSYnw
— Rev. Johnnie Moore ن (@JohnnieM) September 4, 2025
Foundation chairman, Reverend Johnnie Moore Jr., issued a decisive statement: "We are overjoyed and deeply relieved that Aboud is safe, and that this story ends in hope. That outcome was never guaranteed, and it's thanks to the courage and persistence of our team of American heroes; While this story ends happily, it could have ended in tragedy. Too many people, including in the press and civil society, were quick to spread unverified claims without asking the most basic questions."
Foundation spokesman Chapman Fay also clarified that "Abboud and his mother have been transferred to a safe place, and we believe they are on their way to a new life." Mother Najla acknowledged: "My son and I have suffered greatly, but we are grateful to God. I thank everyone who helped and stood by us."
The affair embarrassed Israel's critics, after it became clear that one of the prominent examples presented as evidence of intentional harm to civilians was based on false information. The foundation called upon the public and decision-makers to "ask themselves what other claims they heard about the organization are nothing but lies."
The incident joins a series of cases in which false accusations were disseminated about Israel during the Gaza war, and illustrates how critical fact-checking by media outlets is before disseminating information, especially when human lives are involved.
