world news
Hostage releases and reunions clouded by Hamas’s psychological warfare
Israelis were glued to their TV screens over the weekend, waiting for a first glimpse of the hostages being released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal between the terrorist organization and Israel. The unfolding drama had all the makings of an Oscar-winning psychological thriller; there was a mixture of suspense and horror, followed by relief and emotional scenes of relatives reunited, some of whom learned for the first time that other loved ones were still in captivity or had been murdered.
“Hamas understands Israel’s soft spots and uses them in a cynical and manipulative manner,” Dr. Gal Yavetz, from Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Information Science, told The Media Line.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began almost two months ago, psychological warfare has been an additional arena in which both sides are fighting.
The October 7 massacre
On Oct. 7, Hamas conducted a surprise offensive during which hundreds of terrorists—mainly but not solely from Hamas—stormed Israel’s border. They raided communities, military outposts, and a music festival, murdering approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were Israeli civilians. They also abducted 240 people, taking them into captivity in the Gaza Strip.
The attack shocked Israel, catching it off guard. Its scope astounded the country as it woke up to what was supposed to be a festive Jewish holiday. Israelis were stunned to see the attack on their country streamed live on Facebook. In addition, images of youngsters being led into captivity were seen on Telegram, and videos of terrorist-filled pick-up trucks driving through Israeli cities and terrorists banging on people’s doors were circulated in the early hours of the attack, leaving a lasting impression.
“This war is unprecedented in the amount, volume, and length of the message being dispatched online,” said Yavetz. “This is the most online war ever in the world. We are witnessing both sides using the online arena in a very precise way to turn to each other and to the rest of the world.”
“There was intentional usage of any digital platform possible, including bodycams, in order to create panic and spread fear,” Yavetz added.
Psychological warfare is not new and has been employed by warring sides for years. It is used to manipulate information or to demoralize the enemy, but since the dawn of the digital age, it has become easier to reach larger audiences.
“Before and after a war, the aim of psychological warfare is to sway opinion, but during the war, the aim is to change behavior,” Dr. Ron Schleifer a researcher on psychological warfare from the School of Communication at Ariel University, told The Media Line. “For Hamas, who has no cannons or fighter jets, it is their way to convince the other side not to pull the trigger, or at least use less firepower. They believe this will yield the same result.”
Hamas may not be entirely wrong. The war plunged Israel into a major crisis. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’ massacre, Israel promised a massive retaliation, one that would end with Hamas being overthrown from power in the Gaza Strip. Just hours into the crisis as Israel was still struggling to cope, the Israeli military officer in charge of liaising with the Palestinians posted a video on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“Hamas opened the gates of hell on the Gaza Strip, Hamas made the decision and Hamas will bear the responsibility and pay the price,” threatened Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. His post was circulated widely, using social media to spread the word and instill fear.
But what further complicated the crisis and served as fertile ground for more psychological warfare and misinformation was the presence of a large number of hostages in the hands of Palestinian terrorists in Gaza, far from Israel’s reach.
Take Hanna Katzir, an example that terrorist organizations tried to use to influence public opinion in Israel. An elderly Israeli woman who was abducted during the Oct. 7 surprise offensive, Katzir was apparently held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), who, in an attempt to pressure Israel, said she was killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip.
However, over the weekend, Katzir was one of 26 Israeli civilians released by Hamas as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.
At the beginning of the war, the Israeli government promised to topple Hamas and free all of the hostages. In so doing, one of Israel’s goals was to eliminate Hamas’ intricate web of underground tunnels, which requires the need to use massive firepower as well as forces on the ground. However, for relatives of the hostages, many of whom are believed to be held in those very tunnels, an Israeli military operation could risk their lives.
Ahead of Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, fearful relatives of the hostages sat in TV studios, expressing their fear that such an operation would be detrimental to attempts to free their loved ones.
Throughout the war, Hamas and PIJ have tried to take advantage of the public debate in Israel between those in favor of a massive military offensive against Hamas and those who wanted to secure the release of all 240 hostages before pounding the Gaza Strip. Earlier this month, Hamas published a video of another elderly hostage, lying on a bed, attached to monitors. The video shows what appears to be the last moments of his life; afterward, he is shown dead, covered in white sheets.
There were other such videos and announcements as the fighting between Hamas and Israel has raged.
“Hamas’ goal is to convince [others that] they are right,” Schleifer said. “In order to do that, they need to frustrate the other side. They show a snuff video, causing Israel great frustration and helplessness.”
“It is a very delicate balance in which Hamas needs to be careful it doesn’t increase the motivation on Israel’s side. It’s about finding the balance between hurting the enemy but not too much so that it doesn’t go crazy,” Schleifer added.
Israeli media has refrained from broadcasting the videos released by Hamas and the PIJ, in which the hostages are portrayed in varying scenarios. In one of the videos, a hostage read a statement in which she accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not protecting citizens, claiming they were paying the price for his ‘negligence and failure.’ She was also released over the weekend.
“Hamas is clearly the one setting the tone here from day one, taking the lead in the psychological warfare,” said Yavetz. “Israel is lagging behind.”
With Hamas at a disadvantage against Israel’s military might, it has no choice but to invest more in psychological warfare.
Also worth noting is that the majority of Arab countries surrounding Israel are not democracies, and, therefore, “propaganda is used for the legitimacy of the regimes themselves, leaving Israel decades behind in this arena,” according to Schleifer, who has authored a book titled Psychological Warfare in the Arab-Israeli Conflict. He also said that Hamas has been aided by Qatar in this arena, in addition to the millions of dollars it is believed to have given the terrorist organization.
“Qatar has invested billions of dollars in American academia, as have other Arab countries, in order to promote a positive image of the Arab world and not to have certain truths be, or some of its policies recognized,” Schleifer said. “As part of this, the universities have been targeted in recent decades, in order to educate the future generation of leaders in the Western world.”
During the war, Qatar has been playing a major mediating role between Hamas and Israel, positioning itself in the middle despite its clear, years-long association with the radical Hamas. There has been criticism in Israel against Qatar’s involvement. However, in its efforts to bring the hostages home, the Israeli government has decided to overlook Qatar’s alliance with Hamas.
The ceasefire is expected to continue until Monday as more hostages begin to be released by Hamas. All the while, more psychological warfare will likely be employed—and the suspense will continue.
The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.
“Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel,” Biden said in the memo.
“While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States.”Increased attacks since Oct.7
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a “support front” with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group and the most powerful military and political force in Lebanon.
world news
Preparing for war: Haifa mayor describes city’s infrastructure changes tensions in North escalate
Haifa mayor Yona Yahav spoke this past Monday with Lior Rosenfeld on Radio North 104.5FM about the escalation of the war in the North and his entry into political office amidst the security situation.
Yahav began, “I cannot speak on behalf of the North as I don’t know exactly what’s happening there. No one updates me, as if we are not the largest and most important city in the North. Tomorrow, the Home Front Command is coming to see us for the first time, and we will see what they have to say. We are doing everything to ensure that the city itself and our residents are safe and know what to do in case, God forbid, missiles fall on us. They are more accurate than those in 2006.”
Yahav also discussed the city’s preparations for a war in the North.
“We are now changing the entire method of building public structures,” Yahav said. “We are preparing them for prolonged stays. The minimum will be four consecutive days in shelters and such buildings, which require preparation. For example, installing toilets, which we don’t have today, and we have given instructions to build them in places close to where new houses are being built. This has been fully understood, and developers have begun to understand that the talk about evacuation and reconstruction has undergone drastic changes in light of the security situation. For example, road width needs to be maintained for the sake of evacuating residents on these roads. These are things that were not considered until now and must now be taken into account.”
Yahav’s plans for the success of Haifa’s future
Yahav then discussed his appeal to the transportation minister to stop the Highway 23 Carmel Tunnels’ toll charge.
“We called on the transportation minister to stop the discrimination. Haifa and the North are always discriminated against compared to central Israel, and there’s no reason for this. There are huge tunnels dug in Jerusalem that do not cost residents any money to pass through. There’s no reason why the tunnels dug in Haifa should include a toll. I speak on behalf of Haifa residents, and we are preparing to petition if we do not receive an answer.”
Regarding his entry into his mayoral role about three months ago, Yahav said, “I found a completely ruined city. They destroyed the municipality, and it’s very difficult to move things around. I don’t understand how residents sat idly by and kept quiet. We are trying to go to government offices to fix relations, to get funds, to move projects to bring in fees – and we are doing all this in a short time.
“The ministers are acting openly and with the goodwill to help. I am now waiting for the money on the table. The casino building in Bat Galim will be a luxurious hotel on the Bat Galim seashore. This neighborhood will undergo a complete transformation and will be the most beautiful neighborhood in the country. It will also be the only neighborhood facing a recognized beach. We came to make a change, and we will succeed.”
In conclusion, he touched on the issue of wild boars: “You won’t be able to follow them because soon you won’t see them anymore.”
world news
‘Psychological operation’: Turkey condemns FM Katz social media post depicting toddler Erdogan
Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry released a statement on Sunday condemning a social media post made by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in which Katz presented Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as a toddler on the lap of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Katz, in a Sunday post on X, wrote “Erdogan @RTErdogan finances and arms terrorist organizations of Hamas to carry out attacks and murder against Israelis. The General Security Service captured a squad of students from Bir Zeit who were employed by the Hamas headquarters in Turkey to carry out murder attacks in Israel, through training and weapons and tens of thousands of dollars provided to them.
“Erdogan turned Turkey into a state that supports terrorism and subjects Turkey to the Iranian axis of evil in the name of extreme ideology and blatant anti-Semitism.”
Katz’s comments were made in reference to a recently thwarted terror attack planned by the student Hamas cell in Bir Zeit University, north of Ramallah. The attempted attack, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said, was directed by Hamas’s base in Turkey.ארדואן @RTErdogan מממן ומחמש ארגוני טרור של החמאס לביצוע פיגועים ורצח נגד ישראלים. שירות הביטחון הכללי לכד חוליית סטודנטים מביר זית שהופעלו ע”י מפקדת החמאס בטורקיה לביצוע פיגועי רצח בישראל, באמצעות אימונים ונשק ועשרות אלפי דולרים שסופקו להם.ארדואן הפך את טורקיה למדינה תומכת טרור… pic.twitter.com/R0SCjYdngN
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) July 21, 2024
Turkey condemns the social media post
The Turkish ministry responded “The Israeli Foreign Minister is trying to hide Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians behind a series of lies, slander and disrespect.
“Israel’s dirty propaganda targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan, and psychological operation attempts will not bear fruit.
“The members of the Netanyahu Government, who have killed nearly forty thousand Palestinians in Gaza and are now trying to start a regional war in order to stay in power, will be tried in international courts and held accountable for their crimes.
“Türkiye will continue to speak the truth and defend the right of the Palestinian people to live in justice and peace.”
The ministry cited data provided by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Additionally, Turkey has repeatedly asserted that it does not categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization – despite its western allies acknowledging it as such and its proven attacks on Israeli civilians.
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