Israelis across the country received phone calls from local numbers in which alleged hostages are heard pleading for help, accompanied by the sounds of explosions and alarms, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as well as the Israel National Cyber Directorate, said on Saturday.
Posts began circulating late Friday night and continued into Saturday morning, describing the emotionally charged and unsettling experiences.
According to numerous individuals, calls were received from Israeli phone numbers during the early morning hours, featuring what appeared to be recorded pleas for rescue by captives, all while background audio of explosions and sirens played.
In one widely shared post, a young woman wrote, “Girls, please, this is urgent, I’m panicking! I received a call at 1:00 AM from an Israeli number. There were loud bombings and sirens, and a recording of what seemed to be a hostage begging us to rescue him, saying their time is running out and asking for help from the people of Israel. It was definitely a recorded message — not a real-time hostage plea — but I want to report it to the police. How do I do that?”
The same user later updated her post, saying, “I called the police emergency line (100), and they said they’ve received many similar reports, all starting around the same time. They’re still not sure what’s going on. I hope it’s resolved soon.”
Additional users corroborated her experience, with multiple social media posts describing nearly identical calls, some even coming from the same phone numbers.
Responses to the incident
The Hostages’ and Missing Families Forum said that the calls are not affiliated with them.
“In recent hours, reports have circulated about phone calls allegedly originating from the Hostages’ Families Headquarters, made from unidentified numbers. These calls include audio recordings of hostages screaming in terror with what sounds like IDF bombardments in the background. These are edited segments taken from videos previously disseminated by Hamas.
“We want to stress unequivocally: these calls and recordings are not from our organization. The people of Israel stand united in their support for the return of all hostages and the end of this war. It is time for the government to act on the will of the people and secure the return of all the hostages in a single negotiated deal. It has now been 596 days since the hostages began crying out.”
“In light of the growing number of reports, the National Cyber Directorate can confirm that many citizens have received calls containing audio of explosions, shouting, and threatening messages. These are deliberate attempts to incite public panic,” The Israel National Cyber Directorate said in a statement.
“We want to assure the public that receiving such a call does not compromise the security of your phone. If you receive one of these calls, we advise you to immediately disconnect and block the number.”
According to the Cyber Directorate, the suspicious calls have been traced to the following phone numbers: (79) 944-4000, (74) 737-5311, and (72) 260-4986.
The origin and intent behind these calls remain under investigation. Authorities are urging the public to remain calm, report any suspicious activity, and avoid spreading unverified information.
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