Israeli officials are preparing for a “propaganda war” for when international journalists enter the Gaza Strip, the Israeli news site Ynet has reported.
So far, Israel has barred the entry of foreign journalists into Gaza, and it has also killed more than 200 Palestinian journalists inside the Strip. But the Ynet report said that the possibility of an international force entering Gaza could also come with international reporters, and that Israeli and foreign journalists will also soon be able to enter the Strip under IDF escort.
Israeli officials are worried about a wave of human stories about the civilian suffering in Gaza, since they will portray Israel’s military campaign in a negative light. One plan Israeli officials are discussing is an attempt to shift the blame for the IDF’s destruction of Gaza to Hamas by setting up “demonstration sites” where journalists can be brought in for controlled visits.
“We are working to prepare explanatory materials, with an emphasis on visual and incriminating evidence to illustrate that Hamas turned Gaza into a terror state, cynically using civilians and civilian infrastructure,” one official said.
Another Israeli official acknowledged that Israel may not be able to do much to help its public image. “Unfortunately, I don’t see real readiness. The international media have already published photos of the destruction and the death toll figures released by Hamas’ health ministry. What hasn’t yet been told are the human stories from Gaza in the voices and faces of the residents themselves,” one official said.
“That’s what journalists will now bring, and there’s little we can do to counter it. During the war, we could say, ‘Return the hostages and we’ll end the war.’ Now the hostages have returned, the war is over. This is the aftershock — like a tsunami. We just have to lower our heads, let the wave pass, and move on,” the official added.
Israeli officials are also discussing ways to challenge the death toll numbers released by Gaza’s Health Ministry, but studies have shown the number is likely a significant undercount, and it will continue to rise as bodies are recovered from the rubble.
