Anthony Aguilar, a Davidson resident and former Green Beret, has recently catapulted to fame as a “whistleblower” against the alleged brutality of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at aid distribution sites in the Gaza Strip. He has appeared on several high-profile platforms, including The Tucker Carlson Show, recounting a harrowing story in which he claimed to have witnessed a Palestinian boy named Abboud being shot dead by the IDF shortly after receiving aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a nonprofit that distributes aid directly to civilians in an effort to bypass Hamas, which has been repeatedly accused of stealing UN aid.

   But Aguilar’s central claim has now collapsed. The boy at the center of his story–whose face Aguilar recklessly circulated online–was recently confirmed to be alive after an internal investigation by the GHF. By broadcasting Abboud’s identity, Aguilar put him and his family in extreme danger. Hamas has flagrantly threatened civilians who accept GHF aid, according to Safe Reach Solutions, a GHF-affiliated contractor, along with Gaza residents who have shared similar testimonies. Aguilar’s false allegations also handed Hamas yet another unwarranted propaganda victory, providing an additional incentive to ensure that Abboud was never found alive. Rather than exercising caution, Aguilar jeopardized Abboud’s safety and spread falsehoods that fueled a media firestorm against Israel, all in pursuit of his fifteen minutes of fame in the podcast sphere. Fortunately, the GHF has evacuated Abboud and his family from the Gaza Strip to an undisclosed location.

   This incident is a sobering reminder of the responsibility that comes with public storytelling. Inaccurate testimonies, even those made in good faith, can have life-or-death consequences in a warzone, particularly one where a terrorist regime has mastered the art of manipulating Western media. When major platforms and popular podcasts give unvetted guests a microphone, they lend them credibility that may not be deserved. Both legacy media and its fast-growing alternative counterparts–each of which amplified Aguilar’s dangerous lies–must recognize that they have an obligation to prioritize truth over clicks. That duty is even more critical when reporting on active conflicts, where independent verification is difficult, but all the more essential. Outlets that fail to vet sensational claims may gain short-term attention, but they ultimately undermine public trust in journalism altogether, an institution essential to a healthy democracy and society.

   Since October 7th, sensationalized headlines about the war in Gaza have become almost routine. Many of these claims have collapsed under scrutiny, from the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital “bombing” which turned out to be a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired into a parking lot adjacent to the hospital, to the fabricated claim that 14,000 Gaza babies would die of starvation within 48 hours. This phenomenon is a result of traditional outlets racing to break news first and alternative media chasing viral clips. This incentive structure rewards speed over accuracy, leaving the public, and in this case, an innocent family, to bear the cost of their negligence.

   For Davidson students, this incident should be more than another headline about a distant war. It is a reminder that local actors can have an outsized impact on global controversies, for better or worse. Aguilar’s politically-charged activism endangered a real child and discredited life-saving efforts from an organization that has delivered over 100 million meals to Palestinians in need. In the age of Instagram infographics and 280-character tweets, we have a responsibility to slow down, verify claims, and think before reposting. If we care about justice–whether for Israelis, Palestinians, or anyone caught in conflict–we must care about truth first.

Alexa Cohen is a Political Science major from Cohasset MA. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].