At first glance, AlHudood (“The Borders”) looks like a standard news site. But a quick read of the headlines makes clear that while the stories focus on regional issues, they cover events that never actually happened.
The site is not new: According to Arabic-language media, the satirical outlet was founded in 2013, began operations in Jordan and later established a base in London. Its posts often include content related to Israel, including some from recent weeks.
Ya Allah - AlHudood
(Video: Yaron Brener)
On December 17, for example, the site published a report—framed as a straightforward news article—claiming that the Syrian government had discovered “a creative way to hurt Israel.” According to the fictional piece, the regime of President Ahmad al-Sharaa planned to set up overpriced coffee stands in areas where Israeli troops operate, aiming to inflict economic damage on the soldiers by overcharging tourists.
The article included a detailed explanation of the “operational plan” to “make the Israeli invasion expensive.” Despite its satirical nature, some online users shared the piece and even claimed the accompanying image was “real, from the scene.”
A fake farewell letter from Avichay Adraee, and the founder who calls to 'free Palestine'
In another article, the site published a fictional “farewell letter” attributed to Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, supposedly ahead of his departure from the role. “I especially want to thank Al Jazeera, which embraced me when there were no live broadcasts on social media,” the fabricated letter said.
One of the site’s founders is Issam Uraiqat, a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent, who is openly critical of Israel. On his social media profile on X, formerly Twitter, he lists himself as the director of AlHudood and includes the tag “Freepalestine.” He describes the site as focused on “satire, human rights, feminism, Palestine.” Alongside promoting the site, Uraiqat also shares anti-Israel content from his personal account.
AlHudood describes itself not as a news outlet, but as “a site dedicated to satire and comedy, sometimes tinged with darkness, in which viewpoints and scathing criticism of the region’s political, social and economic events are presented.”
The site says it was born out of the “disillusionment that followed the Arab Spring” and has since grown from its London base. It features a range of writers, cartoonists and comedians from across the Middle East and North Africa, and continues to recruit contributors. The project is non-profit. “Contribute to supporting an idea you believe in and help spread its principles,” the site urges readers, “in an effort to slow the region's descent into chaos.”
Beyond its official website—available in Arabic and English—AlHudood maintains an active presence on social media, where it shares not only its satirical articles but also comedic videos about the Middle East and its leaders.
The site’s Arabic-language Instagram account has about 124,000 followers, with more than 34,000 on X and over 600,000 on Arabic-language Facebook. The English-language accounts have a smaller following. Over the years, AlHudood has drawn attention from both comedy fans and others who failed to catch the satire, sharing its stories as though they were real news.
Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s November visit to the buffer zone in the Golan Heights—accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz—AlHudood posted an Instagram video mocking Syria’s inaction. The clip showed Netanyahu and Katz eating ice cream in the Golan before Katz launches a drone toward Syria. Netanyahu has featured in several other AlHudood videos as well.
On December 15, the site published a satirical piece about Lebanon, headlined: “Hezbollah Offers to Surrender Fighters in Exchange for Keeping Its Weapons.” The article joked that Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the group’s weapons would be preserved “as collector’s items” with no plans to use them.
Another article mocked former Syrian president Bashar Assad, claiming he was “burned out” after years in power. “There’s no job left to aspire to after becoming a dictator,” the story quipped.
AlHudood also targeted Assad in a video posted to Instagram on December 8, marking the first anniversary of his fall from power. Another headline on the site featured Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, 90, declaring his “vision for 2060,” which called for reforming the PA under his continued leadership.
In a past interview with the Guardian, AlHudood founder Uraiqat explained the guiding principle behind the satire: “The jokes have to say something. We wanted to say all those things, but the number one rule from day one is we can’t publish anything that isn’t actually funny. No matter how dark it is, and how black the comedy is, it has to be funny.”