Propaganda War Persists Unabated, Even During Truce: Analysis

After weeks of discussions on a “humanitarian pause”, there is finally a tenuous truce in place.

This process has been lengthy, mainly because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants an ongoing war in order to distract from his domestic political and legal issues. Additionally, he claims to want to eliminate Hamas, a nearly impossible task.

On the other hand, Hamas knows that their only chance of appearing victorious, even if it is a hollow victory, is to secure an indefinite ceasefire. Since that outcome seems unlikely, they must continue to escalate the situation and use rhetoric to keep their regional allies prepared for conflict.

Anti-diplomacy has become a significant tactic in this situation, described as a form of “war by other means”. This approach involves actions that undermine diplomatic efforts and perpetuate violence. An aspect of this anti-diplomacy includes increased attacks on those advocating for peace and reconciliation, often involving disinformation and propaganda. These attacks occur domestically, regionally, and internationally.

An example of this is a video posted by the Israel account on X, managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which showed an edited clip of an Israeli soldier allegedly navigating a Hamas tunnel near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. What’s intriguing is that the video mentions Qatar three times, specifically referring to the tunnel’s proximity to the “Qatari compound” and the “Qatari building”. This language is not incidental; propagandists carefully select these words to convey specific messages. In this case, it is an attempt to link Qatar to Hamas and support Israel’s narrative that al-Shifa serves as a command-and-control center for the armed Palestinian group.

Why does Israel want to undermine Qatar’s credibility? Qatar has been playing a crucial role in mediating for peace during this conflict. Their efforts have contributed to negotiations resulting in the release of captives by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Israel hopes that by discrediting the mediator, it can pressure Qatar to secure a better deal for itself, sometimes at odds with the United States’ position.

There are other instances of anti-diplomacy tactics being used. Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has become a target of a smear campaign accusing her of violating the UN’s Code of Conduct. Albanese is a vocal advocate for peace, and her call for a ceasefire makes her a target for disinformation. Influential diplomatic voices, like Albanese’s, are seen as a threat in Israel, where the end of conflict may lead to accountability.

Anti-diplomacy campaigns also extend to college campuses in the US and Europe, which have become battlegrounds for public opinion. Protests are often met with allegations of promoting anti-Semitism and anti-Palestinianism, further escalating division and conflict. For instance, the University of British Columbia’s branch of Hillel, an organization promoting Jewish life on campus, reported that stickers saying “I love Hamas” were placed around the campus without their knowledge. This tactic aims to smear pro-Palestinian activists as necessarily pro-Hamas.

Hamas also has its propaganda plans during this truce. While the global public seems supportive of a ceasefire, Western politicians are less inclined to back this sentiment. The media, both mainstream and social, play a vital role in shaping public opinions. Hamas understands this and needs relentless global pressure against the war. They need Gaza to stay in the news and Palestinians to be humanized. However, if the temporary pause in bombing reduces the circulation of horrific videos of civilian casualties in Gaza, the world’s attention may dwindle.

As Israel aims for further war, Hamas prepares both militarily and rhetorically. Anti-diplomacy resurfaces in Hamas’ video released just before the truce announcement. While it may seem counterintuitive to call for escalation immediately after negotiating a pause, Hamas does not want its allies in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran to perceive this truce as an opportunity to ease their support. The threat of regional escalation serves as leverage for Hamas, even encouraging reluctant US efforts to call for a ceasefire.

In the coming days, Israel will attempt to maintain public support for war and undermine mediators or peace advocates. Hamas, on the other hand, will aim to generate sympathy for Palestinian suffering while maintaining a level of bellicosity to sustain support from their allies.

The truce faces ongoing challenges, as demonstrated by the delayed release of captives on November 25 in response to Israel allegedly reneging on some aspects of the agreement. This incident shows the fragility of the truce, highlighting that even though the bombing might have paused, the war by other means continues.

It is important to note that the views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Source: Aljazeera news: Fact or Fiction: The propaganda war won’t stop, even during a truce