The IDF has reiterated for the third time in the past 24 hours that no hostages were rescued recently, the military said on Saturday.
Spreading false rumors harms the families of the hostages, and the public is asked to refrain from spreading such rumors, the IDF noted.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum echoed this in a statement, saying, "In recent hours, we have been experiencing waves of false rumors regarding the hostages."
"The rumors on various news and media networks are hurting the families of the hostages who have been waiting for the return of their loved ones for over a year."
The Forum urged the public to refrain from spreading rumors and unverified reports that are not from official sources.
Hostage's sister speaks out
One name that had been circulated in the rumors was Liri Albag, one of the female observers taken hostage during the October 7 attacks. In response, her family has issued an official statement, writing, "Dear people, please stop spreading rumors that only hurt us, the families of the hostages. Our beloved Liri has not been rescued. When there is good news, everyone will know. Good news will come soon."
Shai Albag, Liri's sister, also wrote, "Every night isn't really a night of sleep, but last night was another night full of rumors, half of which I spent sitting by the door waiting."
"It started with rumors that I already jumped in anticipation that my Liri was coming back, and it turned into anxiety that something terrible might have happened," Liri's sister stated.
"Please don't spread rumors that hurt us, the families, even if there's some truth to it. We don't need to hear it through Telegram or from strangers. Good news will come soon, amen."
TikTok blocks user spreading misinformation
Later on Saturday evening, TikTok blocked an account that was spreading false rumors about the return of the hostages. In a brief statement from the company, it was said that "the dissemination of false information is prohibited on the platform." The account, @theshadow7000, amassed more than 52,000 followers and presented itself as a source for news reports.
The page administrator of theshadow7000 spread unfounded claims that approximately 30 families of hostages had been invited to hospitals following a complex military operation in which some of the hostages were allegedly released. He even added fabricated details about the identities of some of the hostages who were supposedly freed.
These reports were completely denied by the IDF, but the page administrator continued to claim that he was providing his followers with "the most reliable information," thereby misleading them and contributing to public confusion and anxiety.
Amir Bohbot, Uri Sela, and Inon Ben Shushan contributed to this report.