Declare:
Freed Israeli prisoner Alexander Turbanov launched a press release praising his captors in October 2025, through which he mentioned, partially: “Your kindness will perpetually be etched on my soul. I spent 498 days amongst you. Regardless of the oppression and aggression you endured, I discovered from you the true that means of manhood, pure bravery, humanity, and respect for values.”
Score:
Score: Incorrect Attribution
Context:
In line with worldwide information stories, Turbanov was an actual individual, 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 alternate 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 alternate, some social media customers claimed one of many launched Israeli hostages praised his captors for the way they handled him. For instance, one Instagram person (archived) mentioned 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 publish, together with one other X publish (archived), added that Turbanov made this assertion after the October 2025 prisoner launch. The complete alleged assertion learn:
Your kindness will perpetually be etched on my soul. I spent 498 days amongst you. Regardless of the oppression and aggression you endured, I discovered from you the true that 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 arms of individuals preventing 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 that 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, whilst you had nothing however your individual our bodies.
Even when I attempted, I could not discover the phrases to really categorical your price and standing, or to replicate my astonishment and admiration on your noble character.
Does your religion actually train you to deal with prisoners this fashion? 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 conflict pale compared to your instance.
Even within the harshest of instances, your justice and mercy stood out — not simply as slogans, however in your precise habits. You by no means compromised in your ideas, regardless of how darkish the circumstances had been.
Imagine me, if I ever return, I’ll dwell amongst you as a devoted pupil, as a result of I’ve discovered the reality out of your individuals. I’ve realized that you’re not simply the homeowners of the land, however the homeowners of ideas and justice.
Turbanov, a freed Israeli-Russian prisoner — whose identify was spelled as Alexander “Sasha” Trufanov in Russian and Israeli media — was an actual individual, in accordance with worldwide information stories (it’s not clear why the identify Turbanov was circulating on social media, although it may have been another 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 really launched months earlier in February. We’ve 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 computerized 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 mentioned 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 along with his household that month. Due to this fact, he was not among the many Israeli prisoners who had been launched in October.
Trufanov spoke publicly a minimum of twice between the time he was launched and when the remaining residing hostages had been freed in October, in accordance with Israeli information media stories. Each instances, as soon as in March and as soon as in April, Trufanov advocated for the discharge of the remaining hostages, saying it ought to be a nationwide precedence above the full defeat of Hamas. It was not doable to seek 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 function in securing Trufanov’s launch and mentioned 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 related 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 in regards to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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 Photographs – BBC Information’. Information, https://www.bbc.co.uk/information/assets/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 Publish about Quote Origins.” X (Previously Twitter), 15 Feb. 2025, x.com/KhaledSafi/standing/1890820463833612646. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
