Tal Hagin Profile picture
OSINT Analyst | Media Literacy Educator | Focused on Information Warfare | Research Fellow @FakeReporter
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Aug 27 7 tweets 4 min read
I've been seeing people pick & choose which phrases to show that were written on the Minneapolis shooter, depending on the narrative they are trying to formulate.

Here is a complete list of every(122) phrase written on the weapons and magazines, and their (likely) meaning:Image Note:
After reviewing nearly everything I could (some words were difficult to decipher or translate from Russian*), it appears that the shooter was fascinated by what many would describe as “Internet culture”—albeit its more extreme end.
Aug 21 13 tweets 5 min read
One of the reasons I follow a wide range of accounts across the political spectrum is to gain insight into how each side views the same event, and hints that misinformation is being spread.

Take this incident that occurred outside an Egyptian government office in New York yesterday:Image These 3 posts all appeared on my timeline in one continuous scroll. However, you'll notice that they cover the same exact incident differently:
Aug 20 4 tweets 2 min read
Aug 11 9 tweets 5 min read
The message isn't fake, but deleted - There are 2 ways to prove this:
1. Forwarded Messages
2. Link ID

A short🧵

To Clarify: This thread is strictly about verifying a specific claim, and to help others with methods to verify the existence of deleted Telegram messages.Image 1. Forwarded Messages - While the message was deleted in the main channel, it wasn't in the discussions "Group".

How to find it: Go to Al-Sharifs Telegram > Click on "Leave a comment" under any post > Then "Join Group" > It'll appear in your Chats > Click on it and search "9 ساعات" > It'll show up for you - Written and forwarded by Al-Sharif to that group.

1. Link to the "Group Chat" - t.me/anas1020304050…

2. Link to Al-Sharifs Channel - t.me/anas1020304050
Aug 3 4 tweets 2 min read
Deepfakes are commonly based on existing footage - This one is based on a Subcommittee hearing from 2022.

But, if you didn't know how Omar sounds or weren't aware of the "Meme" reference, it's very possible you'd fall for this.

Here is the original footage: What the Deepfake does:

It uses existing footage, learns the movements of the target, and then includes fabricated audio and lip movements on a frame taken from the original clip - for this, it used the following photo that was shared a lot: Image
Aug 3 12 tweets 6 min read
This particular video has been accused by many of being AI-generated, either citing an anomaly on the individual's hand or the use of AI detectors.

So is real or fake? I believe it to be authentic.

Why?🧵 Image The main anomaly mentioned by users is the person's right hand, which appears to have a sixth finger growing on his middle finger.
AI still tends to mess up this type of detail, so it immediately resulted in the video being labeled as such.
(Using the evidence links provided in the proposed CN link)Image
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Jul 4 15 tweets 6 min read
With the publication of the following footage, so to came with it suspicion that it was AI, or at least partially, specifically the second video.

The doubts aren’t unfounded — but after a thorough review, I believe the footage is authentic. Here's why:

A🧵 As AI technology advances, so does our skepticism toward video footage. Visual oddities that were once dismissed as typical artifacts are now increasingly seen as undeniable signs of AI fakery.

So, what raised suspicion in this case? Four main things — but one frame in particular stood out.
Jul 1 17 tweets 11 min read
A viral claim alleges that over 1,000 Israeli deaths—military and civilian - were exposed via a hack of the Israeli "Hess" website, due to Iranian strikes.

But is there any truth to it—and can we even know, given Israel’s military censorship?

A🧵 The official numbers, per Israeli/Palestinian media (TOI/Maariv/Palestine Chronicle/MOH), cite 29 deaths (28 civilians / 1 off-duty soldier) and 3,000+ injured, but the death toll could rise as there are still several in critical condition (As of June 24th).

Sources:
TOI (They are missing 1 name: Yelena Zadovsky)
timesofisrael.com/these-are-the-…
Maariv:
maariv.co.il/economy/israel…
Palestine Chronicle:
palestinechronicle.com/israeli-media-…
MOH:
gov.il/he/pages/24062…Image
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Jun 30 5 tweets 2 min read
1. The Times of Israel headline is misleading. If you actually read the article, it's clear they're referring to Iranian casualties.

2. I couldn’t find any Israeli outlet named “Hess,” let alone one reporting those numbers. Image “Iranian strikes” clearly means Israeli strikes on Iran — just read one sentence past the headline.

Tip: Read articles before you share them. Image
Jun 25 7 tweets 5 min read
As news broke of a young child being violently slammed into the ground at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, so did speculation about the attacker’s identity.

What isn’t confirmed:
Claims that the attacker is Jewish or a Zionist have circulated online without ANY evidence. The only official reference appears in Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, where Ambassador Kazem Jalali stated: “Some have claimed the attacker is Jewish, but I cannot confirm that.”

What we know:
The perpetrator is Vladimir Vitkov, 31, a Belarusian national, returning from Egypt, where he had been working on a construction project. He was reportedly under the influence of whisky and cannabis at the time of the assault.Image
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This is a good time to remind everyone of the Ben Cohen case - which led to an innocent man being harassed for a crime he didn't commit because people were desperate to paint a narrative that fit their agendas - trying to claim the perpetrator was either Israeli/Jewish/Illegal Immigrant/Muslim:
Jun 19 10 tweets 5 min read
In a renewed attempt to claim that Soroka Hospital wasn’t directly hit—but was instead damaged by a shockwave after targeting two alleged military facilities—a new video has been released.
Just like previous “evidence,” it’s wrong: The roof of Soroka’s Surgical Ward was directly struck, and the supposed military sites are not located where the video claims.

Thread 2.0:Image The Claim:
This video repeats the same narrative, but instead of a fake map, it now shows a 3d image of Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva —while still insisting the location is in Tel Aviv.

The translated claims are:
1. “Central Command of Communications, Control and Intelligence of the Israeli Army”
2. “Central Intelligence Building – Israeli Army Operations in Tel Aviv's Gav Yam Technology Park”

This is false.
Jun 19 15 tweets 7 min read
After the blast at Soroka Hospital, Fars News claimed it was just shockwave damage from nearby military targets. This is False.

The hospital was directly hit, and the map they shared to back up their claims was completely fabricated.

An OSINT Analysis by @FakeReporter :Image Be aware that this analysis uses open-source tools, including geolocation, blast triangulation and publicly available information online - Nothing said here is confidential.
Jun 19 5 tweets 2 min read
The entire city is blurred on Google Maps: Image
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Source: Google Maps
Jun 13 94 tweets 44 min read
Mis/Disinformation Thread - Iran/Israel 2025

This thread is for you to be aware of what reports/photos/videos are verified Fake News (with sources).

1. This video is from Kyiv, Ukraine - 2022 (Source: ).Image 2. This video is from a fire in Iran on June 11th, 2025 (Source: ). Image
Apr 23 7 tweets 4 min read
This photo wasn't taken in Ramallah - It was taken in Cairo, Egypt.

Specifically: Here in Talaat Harb Square (30°02'52.1"N 31°14'18.7"E).

How did I figure it? A simple Geolocation thread: Image The first step is to try and find out where else this image was used.
Maybe a different caption included a specific place in Ramallah I could then compare with the image to match.
Tool used: Google Lens
Apr 6 48 tweets 30 min read
Preliminary OSINT Summary: Medical Convoy under IDF fire in Tal al-Sultan, Rafah – March 23, 2025

This thread provides a detailed overview of the incident involving the PRCS and Civil Defense convoy in Rafah. It examines the available evidence, outlines conflicting narratives, and highlights key findings as well as unresolved questions.Image This thread draws on eyewitness testimony from the sole known PRCS survivor, official statements by the IDF, PRCS, Civil Defense, and OCHA, as well as OSINT findings.
It's intended as a resource for journalists, researchers, commentators, and activists.
All sources are listed below.
Mar 18 13 tweets 4 min read
I've noticed a recurring issue—people want to fact-check and ensure the content they see is verified, but due to a lack of awareness about Google Lens and its limitations, they often end up spreading fake news themselves.

Let’s fix this 🧵 Image Google Lens is an excellent tool for basic image verification—it's easy to use and allows anyone to quickly check whether a video is recent, old, or missing context.

There are many techniques to use Google Lens correctly, but one recurring mistake leads to bad results: how people interpret the initial search results.
Mar 15 9 tweets 2 min read
Be aware that there are several unrelated videos from previous strikes in Yemen over the past 2 years being wrongly labeled as recent.

This isn't new - it's happened after previous strikes as well.

Verify before you share! 1. Image
Mar 12 16 tweets 12 min read
Based on a OSINT review - The original post alleged to have been uploaded by CUAD is highly likely to have been real.

This is based not on trusting claims made by various activists or organizations, but the accumulation of publicly available data.

A Thread 🧵 The conclusion that this is real is based on 1 important piece of evidence: The link address.

Disclaimer:
I will provide sources for everything.

Lets begin:
Mar 10 10 tweets 3 min read
Fake News Thread 🧵

A summary of fake/misleading posts I handled or videos that could falsely be interpreted as related to the ongoing crisis in Syria: Note: THIS THREAD CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGERY
Feb 23 12 tweets 6 min read
Based on an OSINT analysis of the published footage - This highly likely showcases the suspect responsible for the explosion that occurred near the Wolfson Medical Center - (Or the additional unexploded package)

Analysis & Overview thread 🧵 What we know (1/2):
1. The first two explosions occurred around 20:30 in the parking lot next to the Bat Yam Municipal Stadium:
32°00'06.4"N 34°44'50.1"E
2. The third bus exploded around 21:40 (Based on initial reports on Telegram pages). Image
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