Did Alexander Turbanov, an Israeli man who was held prisoner by Hamas, make a statement sympathizing with his captors upon his release? No, that's not true: This made-up quote went viral on Feb. 15, 2025 and resurfaced in Oct. 2025. The man in question is not named Turbanov, his name is Alexander Troufanov. The quote attributed to Troufanov was posted on X by social media influencer Khaled Safi, who clarified in a follow-up post that he wrote these words "on his behalf".
The made-up quote appeared in a post (archived here) published on Facebook on Feb. 16, 2025 by the page Towards Understanding Islam. The post begins:
A MUST READ!!Today, the Israeli prisoner Alexander Turbanov, who was released, made a statement that shocked the occupying Israel:"Your kindness has been engraved in my conscience forever. During the 498 days I lived among you, despite the aggression and crimes you endured, I learned the true meaning of manhood, pure heroism, and respect for humanity and values.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot from facebook.com/share/p/1Chr9PtU8c.)
Alexander Turbanov is not the name of the hostage who was released on Feb. 15, 2025. A photo of the exchange ceremony for the three hostages appears in a US News & World Report article (archived here) titled, "Israel and Hamas Complete Their Latest Exchange as Ceasefire's First Phase Has Just 2 Weeks Left". Troufanov is pictured wearing a red hoodie. The photo caption reads:
Israeli hostages Iair Horn, 46, left, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, center left, and Alexander Troufanov, 29, right, are escorted by Hamas and islamic Jihad fighters as they are handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot from usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-02-14/hamas-is-set-to-free-3-more-israeli-hostages-after-dispute-threatened-to-reignite-war-in-gaza.)
On Feb. 15, 2025 Khaled Safi @KhaledSafi made a post (archived here) on X in Arabic (pictured below left). The post included an 8-second video clip showing Troufanov in the same setting as the photo above- escorted by two armed fighters. Although not identical, the auto-translation of Safi's post to English (pictured below right) follows the structure and sentiment of the quote included in the Facebook post.
Your beauty is etched in my conscience, for during the 498 days I lived among you, I learned the true meaning of manhood, pure heroism, and respect for humanity and values, despite the aggression and crimes you were subjected to.
You were the besieged yet free, while I was the captive, and you were the guardians of my life. You cared for me like a compassionate father cares for his children, preserving my health, dignity, and elegance. You did not allow hunger or humiliation to touch me, even though I was in the hands of men fighting for their land and their stolen rights, against the government of my country, which perpetrates the most heinous genocide against a besieged people.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/KhaledSafi/status/1890679402943393905.)
Many people replied to Safi asking for clarification. He responded on Feb. 15, 2025 (archived here):
Notice and clarification: These are not the words of the captive, but rather I wrote them on his behalf, describing his condition, his gratitude, his thanks, and his bowing to the men of the resistance.
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/KhaledSafi/status/1890820463833612646.)
