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  • Snopes Digest #116: Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Snopes app — and more

Snopes Digest #116: Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Snopes app — and more

Here's what's happening inside the Snopes newsroom

Author

Izz LaMagdeleine
November 05, 2025

Nov. 5, 2025・Issue #116

1. Behind the Snopes: Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Let's talk about what's going on with Snopes: the newsroom, the products, the people, and everything and anything that makes Snopes, Snopes. This month, reporter Taija PerryCook gave a behind the scenes look at how we investigated who really broke the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

The delicate, U.S.-brokered ceasefire — the first phase of which both Israel and Hamas signed off on in early October 2025 — was strained by a series of Israeli airstrike attacks that killed dozens of Palestinians, including in a refugee camp. Israel justified the ceasefire violations, claiming that Hamas fighters killed two Israeli soldiers first — the accusation at the core of our investigation.

As always here at Snopes, we do our best to cut through the noise and pinpoint primary evidence (or lack thereof) for our readers. In this case, Israel claimed Hamas fighters emerged from tunnels and fired grenades at troops operating to “dismantle terrorist infrastructure” in Gaza, an act Hamas claimed no responsibility for and for which we found no corroborating evidence. We also examined a theory that the Israeli soldiers inadvertently died after driving an excavator over unexploded ordnance, and found it to be speculative.

Beyond the central claim, we scoured the internet for deeper clues, translating Arabic and Hebrew to use both reporting from a Palestinian journalist on the ground in Gaza and Israeli news outlets’ investigations to contextualize the claim. What are the chances of running an excavator over unexploded ordnance in Gaza? Did Hamas violate the ceasefire in other ways? Does Israel have a history of spreading disinformation? We compiled available evidence to address these questions and more.

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2. Fact-checking highlight: White House rumors

From reporter Rae Deng:

Snopes reporters have been hard at work fact-checking claims about the construction of President Donald Trump’s $200 million “golden ballroom” at the White House.

For example, readers have asked if the ballroom's construction would continue during the government shutdown and whether an AI-generated rendering of the planned expansion was authentic.

These rumors prompted us to take a look back at our fact-checks about the iconic building on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. From ghost stories to alligators, here’s a collection of rumors we’ve investigated about the storied building:

3. Overheard at Snopes

We look into a lot of weird stuff at Snopes. We imagine it's very interesting to be a fly on the wall, so we wanted to give you a look at some of the things we have to say when fact-checking.

Overheard: Okay! Do you prefer the volcano or acid pools?

— Reporter Emery Winter

4. Since we last met: Snopes app

From web producer/production editor Izz Scott LaMagdeleine:

Snopes recently marked a new chapter with the launch of our official mobile app. Facts are now just a tap away whether you're chasing the truth, testing your knowledge or catching up on trending topics.

We've packed this app with everything we love about Snopes, as well as a few new fun surprises. We can't wait for you to see how helpful it is to have us with you everywhere you go, right inside your pocket. You can find the app on the App Store and Google Play.

Mental Health Break

Snopes investigates some grim and depressing claims, so we know how important it is to your mental health to see something silly, funny, or just plain heartwarming. Here are some links that made us smile.

5. Snopes-worthy Media

What Snopes is paying attention to across the web.

— Brendan Ruberry and Max Tani, Semafor

— Angela Fu, Poynter

— Wes Wilson, Chron

Thanks for reading this edition of the Snopes Digest. We send new issues of the newsletter every month, so please add this email address to your white list and keep an eye out for the next issue.

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