A viral video on social media platform X has been misleadingly shared, claiming that Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland called an Israeli soldier to congratulate him on killing Palestinians. The claim is false. Haaland’s call was actually to ask about the well-being of Omer Shem Tov, a 22-year-old Israeli who spent 505 days in Hamas captivity after being captured at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023.
How the Misinformation Spread
On June 29, a pro-Palestinian user on X posted a video showing Haaland video-calling Shem Tov. The caption read: “Norwegian Manchester City player ‘Erling Haaland’ calls an Israeli soldier who was a prisoner in Gaza, to congratulate him on killing 100,000 Palestinians, most of whom are children and women. Before you support or encourage any non-Muslim player, you must know his background and positions on clear humanitarian issues.” The post gained 2.8 million views. Another user shared the same video with the same caption, gaining 95,000 views. The video was further amplified by multiple other accounts.
Fact-Checking the Claim
A fact-check was initiated due to high virality and public interest. The transcript of the clip reveals Haaland only asked, “How are you doing?” and “Everything going good with you today?” Shem Tov responded, “I’m good, thank you. Thank you so much for calling me.” Haaland did not mention Palestinians or congratulate him on any killings.
A reverse image search traced the video to Israeli sports outlet Sports 5, which posted it on April 16, 2025, stating Haaland called to ask about the safety of hostage survivor Shem Tov. Local Israeli media outlets such as Y Net News, I Sports, and Israel Hayom also covered the call, confirming Haaland asked about Shem Tov’s well-being. None reported that he congratulated him for killing Palestinians.
Shem Tov’s Military Background
To confirm Shem Tov’s military status, keyword searches led to an interview on March 3, 2026, by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, where Shem Tov stated he had just completed his mandatory service in the Israeli Army before being taken captive. The Jewish Exponent also reported the same. He served in the Israeli Defence Forces just before being captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
Conclusion
The claim that a viral video shows Erling Haaland calling an Israeli soldier to congratulate him on killing 100,000 Palestinians is misleading. Haaland made a video call to Shem Tov, but only to ask how he was doing. He did not mention Palestine or congratulate him for killing Palestinian civilians. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
