Israeli beauty queen Melanie Shiraz is decrying her Miss Universe Palestine competitor for using her social media presence to “spread propaganda” about the war in Gaza, including suggesting that the youngest victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, were Palestinians killed by Israel. 

Ms. Shiraz’s statement addresses several controversial posts shared by 27-year-old Palestinian model Nadeen Ayoub regarding Israel’s war against Hamas. In one post, Ms. Ayoub shared a video montage of children that she claimed were killed during the war for the “crime” of “being born in Palestine.” 

The video, however, uses footage of several Israeli children who were murdered after Hamas invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz, including the Bibas boys and 12-year-old Noya Dan. Ms. Ayoub, who is set to make history next month as the first Palestinian beauty queen to compete in the Miss Universe contest, boasts 1.2 million Instagram followers. 

“When I came to Miss Universe I believed that it would be a stage of peace, dialogue, and friendship,” the 26-year-old Israeli contestant said in a video released on Sunday. “That is why it is deeply troubling to see this platform being misused.”

The Bibas boys were just 4 and 9 months old when they were taken hostage and killed by Palestinian terrorists with “their bare hands.” Dan, who was autistic, was killed alongside her grandmother. Her body was found burned near the Israel-Gaza border.

“To take these innocent Israeli children — murdered in their homes or in captivity — and present them as though they were Palestinian casualties is not an act of compassion,” the Israeli beauty queen stated. “It is a theft of identity, a falsification of truth, and a calculated attempt to weaponize tragedy for political purposes.”

In the post, Ms. Ayoub states that all the children in the video are dead because of the war in Gaza. 

“These children are innocent. We must speak for them, for the injustice they all have endured and continue to endure every single day,” she writes. “According to the United Nations, approximately 28 children are being killed daily in Gaza as a result of genocide and the restrictions on humanitarian aid.”

While the video remains posted, Ms. Ayoub has since removed from the caption her claim that the children were born in “Palestine.”

Ms. Shiraz also criticized Ms. Ayoub for sharing a post that claimed the death toll in Gaza was 680,000 — more than 10 times the unverified figure reported by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. 

“With a large following and reach, she spreads lies so easily disproven that they corrode credibility,” Ms. Shiraz said. “Worse, they shape the minds of impressionable young people, glorifying violence and pushing them toward conflict instead of peace.”

Ms. Shiraz’s statement was commended by the Consulate General of Israel at New York, which praised the Israeli beauty queen for her “powerful message.”

“In an age of growing lies about Israel and October 7, standing for truth is more crucial than ever,” the consulate shared on X. “Miss Universe Israel 2025, @MelanieShiraz, is one of those courageous voices.” 

Ms. Ayoub, crowned “Ms. Palestine” in 2022, is based in Dubai but describes herself as part of the “Palestinian diaspora” and says she divides her time between Ramallah and Amman. Ms. Ayoub has not yet addressed the controversy.