What is the role of social media in the Israeli-Palestinian battle for hearts, minds and political support?
The war in Gaza is not limited to ground operations. There is a battle in the media too, where myths and propaganda are distorting the already conflicting and highly contentious narratives. Since Israel's bombardment began on July 8, its government's PR machine has worked hard to paint the picture of a country under existential threat, defending itself from a terrorist organisation.
And while Gaza's civilian death toll grew and international audiences became increasingly outraged, the pro-Israel camp accused the international media of directing too much attention to Palestinian suffering and underreporting the missiles fired by Hamas.
But if social media is anything to go by, the efforts of Israel and its supporters to manage the message have been far from successful. More than ever before, mainstream media outlets have been responsive to the instant reporting from the ground in Gaza that has provided a new, more nuanced narrative for one of the oldest conflicts in the world today.
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