Declare:
Freed Israeli prisoner Alexander Turbanov launched a press release praising his captors in October 2025, wherein he stated, partially: “Your kindness will ceaselessly be etched on my soul. I spent 498 days amongst you. Regardless of the oppression and aggression you endured, I realized from you the true which means of manhood, pure bravery, humanity, and respect for values.”
Score:
Score: Incorrect Attribution
Context:
In response to worldwide information studies, Turbanov was an actual particular person, although they used the identify Alexander “Sasha” Trufanov. Nonetheless, the quote originated from a Palestinian social media influencer who wrote it from Trufanov’s perspective. Moreover, he was launched in February 2025; due to this fact, he was not among the many prisoners returned in October 2025 as a part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In October 2025, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that got here into impact on Oct. 10. The settlement noticed Hamas launch the final of the surviving Israeli hostages whom they captured on Oct. 7, 2023, in trade for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners. The deal additionally led to a pause within the two-year battle, which left a lot of Gaza in wreck.
Following the trade, some social media customers claimed one of many launched Israeli hostages praised his captors for a way they handled him. For instance, one Instagram consumer (archived) stated a hostage named Alexander Turbanov launched a press release describing the “kindness,” “humanity” and “respect” he skilled whereas imprisoned.
The quote additionally appeared on X (archived) and Fb. The latter submit, together with one other X submit (archived), added that Turbanov made this assertion after the October 2025 prisoner launch. The total alleged assertion learn:
Your kindness will ceaselessly be etched on my soul. I spent 498 days amongst you. Regardless of the oppression and aggression you endured, I realized from you the true which means of manhood, pure bravery, humanity, and respect for values. Even in captivity, you had been free, whereas I, being free, was a prisoner. You protected my life. Like a father treats his sons with love, you cared for my dignity, well being, and honor.
Although I used to be within the palms of individuals combating for his or her land and stolen freedom, and whereas my authorities was committing the worst genocide towards a besieged nation, you neither starved me nor humiliated me.
I noticed the true which means of manhood in your eyes. I understood the worth of sacrifice by residing amongst you. I noticed you smiling even within the face of demise, towards an enemy armed with weapons of mass destruction, when you had nothing however your individual our bodies.
Even when I attempted, I could not discover the phrases to actually categorical your value and standing, or to mirror my astonishment and admiration to your noble character.
Does your religion actually educate you to deal with prisoners this manner? How nice is that perception that raises you to such a degree the place all man-made legal guidelines of human rights crumble, and all protocols of battle pale compared to your instance.
Even within the harshest of occasions, your justice and mercy stood out — not simply as slogans, however in your precise conduct. You by no means compromised in your rules, regardless of how darkish the circumstances had been.
Consider me, if I ever return, I’ll dwell amongst you as a devoted pupil, as a result of I’ve realized the reality out of your individuals. I’ve realized that you’re not simply the homeowners of the land, however the homeowners of rules and justice.
Turbanov, a freed Israeli-Russian prisoner — whose identify was spelled as Alexander “Sasha” Trufanov in Russian and Israeli media — was an actual particular person, in response to worldwide information studies (it isn’t clear why the identify Turbanov was circulating on social media, although it may have been an alternate translation — Snopes will proceed this text with the identify Trufanov). Nonetheless, he was not among the many prisoners launched in October 2025 and he by no means launched this assertion. Trufanov was truly launched months earlier in February. We’ve got rated this declare incorrectly attributed.
Origin of quote
Khaled Safi, a Palestinian social media influencer, was the true supply of the quote. Safi posted the passage in Arabic on X (archived) in February 2025. Although not verbatim, the social media platform’s automated translation roughly matched the quote attributed to Trufanov in October.
In a number of follow-up posts (archived, archived, archived), Safi clarified that the phrases had been his personal, not Trufanov’s, although he stated he wrote them from Trufanov’s perspective.
A number of worldwide information media retailers reported that Trufanov was among the many Israeli prisoners launched in February 2025. The Israel military’s Fb web page additionally posted a video exhibiting Trufanov being reunited together with his household that month. Subsequently, he was not among the many Israeli prisoners who had been launched in October.
Trufanov spoke publicly not less than twice between the time he was launched and when the remaining residing hostages had been freed in October, in response to Israeli information media studies. Each occasions, as soon as in March and as soon as in April, Trufanov advocated for the discharge of the remaining hostages, saying it must be a nationwide precedence above the whole defeat of Hamas. It was not doable to search out any proof that he referenced the circumstances he skilled whereas in captivity both time.
In April 2025, whereas assembly Trufanov and his household, Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted his nation’s position in securing Trufanov’s launch and stated he thought “we should always categorical our gratitude to Hamas leaders and its political wing for accommodating our request and making this gesture.” Trufanov himself didn’t categorical comparable sentiments, and as a substitute as soon as once more centered on advocating for the discharge of the remaining hostages.
For additional studying, Snopes has fact-checked quite a few claims concerning the Israel-Hamas battle.
Sources:
Lastly Collectively. After 16 Months, Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov Has Been Reunited with His Household. Israel Protection Forces, https://www.fb.com/reel/468160262894249.
Fox, Nina. “Former Hostage on Rom Braslavski’s Video: “His Eyes Are Not the Similar.”” Ynetglobal, 18 Apr. 2025, www.ynetnews.com/article/bkthyokjeg. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
‘Gaza Struggle in Maps and Satellite tv for pc Photos – BBC Information’. Information, https://www.bbc.co.uk/information/sources/idt-217c6a28-4a90-4d47-a91c-13113a7dc7db. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Graham-Harrison, Emma, et al. ‘A Visible Information to the Destruction of Gaza’. The Guardian, 18 Jan. 2025. World Information. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/18/a-visual-guide-to-the-destruction-of-gaza.
Kempinski, Yoni. ‘Sasha Trufanov Speaks for the First Time since His Launch’. Israel Nationwide Information, https://www.israelnationalnews.com/information/404695. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
“Assembly with the Trufanov Household.” Kremlin.ru, 16 Apr. 2025, en.kremlin.ru/occasions/president/information/76694. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Moscow (AFP). ‘Putin Meets Russian-Israeli Hostage Launched by Hamas’. France 24, 17 Apr. 2025, https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250417-putin-meets-russian-israeli-hostage-released-by-hamas.
Newsroom. https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/element?itemid=7ee8f6ccb505470487607763561c6454&mediatype=video. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Russian Citizen Alexander Trufanov Launched from Hamas Captivity. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/russian-citizen-alexander-trufanov-released-from-hamas-captivity/3483228. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Safi, Khaled. “Safi X Submit about Quote Origins.” X (Previously Twitter), 15 Feb. 2025, x.com/KhaledSafi/standing/1890820463833612646. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
