Israelis called from unknown numbers with recordings of hostages begging for help

24 May 2025, 11:23 am

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People walk past posters of people who have been and are still held hostage in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, May 21, 2025. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Israelis overnight say on social media that they received calls with recorded messages of hostages begging for help to be released, with sounds of sirens and explosions in the background from unknown phone numbers.

The voices of hostages were taken from Hamas propaganda videos of the captives.

In one of the reported calls, a person can be heard saying, “There are hostages in Gaza, why are you waiting?”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum says in a statement that the calls were not made on their behalf.

The National Cyber Directorate is investigating the calls, which came from numbers including 0747375311, 0799444000 and 0722604986, and advises the public to block the numbers.

It says the calls are “attempts to create panic among the public.”