One year on 7th October 2023, and the onset of aggression against Gaza and then Lebanon, we delve into the details of what happened, not on the ground, but in the digital space, specifically on social media platforms.
As Gaza and Lebanon faced unprecedented attacks, resulting in over 151,000 casualties, including martyrs and injures, with thousands trapped under rubble or missing, digital aggression was also at its peak, as if a digital front had opened.
Accounts and campaigns dedicated time to misinformation against Palestinians and Lebanese in various contexts and forms. Each time a method of deception was uncovered, a new one emerged. Videos and images from past wars and events resurfaced and were misattributed to Gaza and Lebanon, often used as evidence by misleading accounts and campaigns.
Certain figures and entities were targeted for incitement, with many videos and images taken out of context. A significant portion of what Palestinians shared as behind-the-scenes content, for instance, was turned against them.
Misinformation impacted the West Bank as well as other countries and regimes, leading to incendiary statements, and artificial intelligence and video games also played a role.
What have we discovered? How did the digital space transform into a different kind of battleground?
Since 7th October 2023 and as of 30 September 2024, Kashif has verified 749 misinformation and/or disinformation and claims related to the war. Kashif’s work went beyond just verifying claims, videos, and images and clarifying their truth to the public; the team also tracked the mechanisms and contexts of misinformation.
First: Key Contexts of Misinformation
Context One: Taking Videos and Images Out of Context
First Goal: Accusing Palestinians of fabricating casualties.
Much of the misinformation during the aggression focused on a specific set of sensitive and dangerous narratives aimed at legitimizing the killing of Palestinians and providing the Israeli occupation forces with justification to commit crimes and acts of genocide.
Misleading accounts and campaigns extracted a large number of videos and images from their original contexts, attributing old or unrelated footage to Gaza as evidence of Palestinians faking casualties and death. These accounts even went further, circulating videos and images of dead Palestinians and injured individuals that had been published by reputable media outlets and activists from Gaza, accusing them of staging these incidents without any real evidence.
They also utilized behind-the-scenes footage, solidarity acts, and Palestinian and non-Palestinian drama/art, both old and new, to accuse Palestinians of fabricating the scenes they shared about the events in Gaza, often citing the presence of a filming camera in a video or a smile on an actor’s face due to cinematic makeup as proof.
The videos that these misleading accounts circulated—out of context—were often posted by the actors themselves on their personal social media accounts, with clarifications that these clips were behind-the-scenes footage from a series or project.
Notable series used for this type of misinformation include “Birth of Dawn” and “Nazif al-Turab, alongside various artistic and solidarity works.
The accusation of fabrication was exemplified in the “Pallywood” campaign, a massive initiative that intensified the dissemination of content by Israeli accounts and others supportive of the Israeli state since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza on 7th October 2023.
The term “Pallywood” emerged during the Second Intifada in 2000 after the killing of Palestinian child Muhammad al-Durra, reflecting an attempt to deny the deliberate nature of his death at the hands of the occupation while he sought protection from his father.
“Pallywood” is a portmanteau of “Palestine” and “Hollywood,” suggesting that Palestinians are staging scenes of Israeli aggression against them, particularly in Gaza, and fabricating injuries and death to gain international sympathy.
These accounts circulate images and videos out of context, which may be old and not from Palestine in general or Gaza in particular, as these images and videos are more frequently attributed to Gaza after 7th October.
The reach of “Pallywood” campaign in the digital space, at the time of publishing this report, extends to 180.9 million users, with 107,000 interactions, 63,000 likes, 35,700 shares, and 18,900 mentions.
Second Goal: Targeting Children and Minimizing International Sympathy.
Children in Gaza have not been spared from the wave of misinformation against Palestinians; they can be seen as one of its primary targets. Misleading accounts and campaigns have circulated videos and images taken out of context to accuse children.
A) Accusing Gaza’s Children of Staging and Faking Their Injuries and Deaths:
– Using videos from behind-the-scenes of artistic projects, advertisements, and solidarity acts featuring groups of children, these accounts accused them of acting to mislead public opinion and gain international sympathy.
– Sharing old videos and images from before 7th October 2023, of children not from Gaza, falsely claiming they were from Gaza and accusing them of acting.
– Posting genuine videos of children from Gaza while claiming they are staged and not authentic.
B) Accusing dead Children in Gaza of Being Dolls:
Misleading accounts have re-shared videos documenting the moments families in Gaza bid farewell to their children who were killed by Israeli airstrikes, claiming that the dead children seen in the videos are merely dolls used by Palestinians.
C) Accusing Gaza’s Children of Carrying and Using Weapons:
This tactic was employed by the now-suspended account “GazaEducation” on “X,” which shared old videos and images of children not from Gaza surrounded by weapons or using them. The account also re-shared videos of children holding toy weapons or throwing stones, alongside footage of masked children wearing Palestinian keffiyehs, claiming that this represents the type of education children in Gaza receive.
D) Accusing Gaza’s Children of Faking Their Injuries and Illnesses:
Misleading accounts have shared videos of injured children due to the Israeli aggression, alleging that these children are acting and have not been harmed. They also posted images of sick children, including the case of Yazan Kafarna, who died due to malnutrition and the blockade preventing medicine from entering Gaza. Despite the clear evidence of the aggression’s role in these tragedies, these accounts deny that the attacks are responsible for the children’s deaths or deteriorating health, even claiming the children are not from Gaza at all.
Third Goal: Questioning Palestinian Unity.
Misleading accounts aimed to portray Palestinians in the West Bank as indifferent to the aggression against Gaza, suggesting instead that they were celebrating while the conflict unfolded.
Examples include:
– A video of young men and women dancing in a café in London, falsely claimed to show a celebration in a nightclub in the West Bank.
– An old video featuring singer Layan Bazlemite at a concert for Jordanian artist Nada Sharara, misrepresented as during the aggression on Gaza.
– An old video in which Palestinian artist Amir Dandan announces a New Year’s Eve party, falsely claimed to be during the current aggression.
– An old video of the Christmas tree being lit in front of the Ramallah municipality, misrepresented as during the conflict.
Fourth Goal: Gaining Views or Sharing with the Intent of Sympathy
Accounts on social media linked old images and videos to the current aggression in Gaza and Lebanon, even though they were unrelated or outdated. This type of content spreads to elicit sympathy from viewers and increase interaction on the publishers’ platforms, or some share it with the intent of empathy without verification.
A) Examples of Images and Videos Attributed to Gaza:
– An old photo of a girl crying and holding her schoolbook, having survived an airstrike on her home during the 2014 aggression against Gaza.
– A video of journalists in Syria next to missiles, falsely claimed to feature Palestinian journalists.
– A video of two girls from Syria discussing their difficult conditions in the cold, misrepresented as being from Gaza.
– An old video that circulated before the recent aggression showing a child eating grass, falsely claimed to be from Gaza.
– A video of cakes being smuggled through a hole in a wall from a documentary produced in 2012, misrepresented as showing an Egyptian teenager breaching the border wall between Egypt and Gaza to deliver bread to Gaza’s residents.
B) Examples of Images and Videos Attributed to Lebanon:
– An old video of a car explosion in Moscow, falsely claimed to be from a bombing incident in Lebanon.
– An old image from 2010 showing a damaged laptop, misrepresented as part of the wireless device and pager explosions in Lebanon.
– An old image from 2021 of an iPhone explosion, misrepresented as occurring during the wireless device explosion in Lebanon.
– Old videos claimed to document the Israeli army falling into Hezbollah ambushes in Lebanon.
Context Two: The Impact of Aggression on Israel
The goal: influencing the public opinion and exaggerating the Palestinian resistance power.
Alongside the major events and targeting against Israel, accounts on social media began circulating videos and images, presenting them as factual and covering the event, in an attempt to showcase the extent of the strikes against the occupation.
Through Kashif’s, it was found that a significant number of these images and videos were either old or not related to the events to which they were attributed.
This context took on an upward trajectory at the start of Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”, coinciding with the targeting and major events affecting Israel, the escalation and ground operation in Lebanon, attacks on Israel by Tehran, assaults by the Houthis, and operations.
As a result, incorrect images and videos spread, purportedly related to:
– Officers and soldiers in the Israeli army who were killed, injured, or captured during Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood” and battles in Gaza.
– Destroyed Israeli army tanks.
– Attacks on and burning of Israeli embassies.
– Explosions in the occupied territories, some occurring at central facilities such as Shin Bet and Mossad headquarters, as well as buildings.
– Documenting clashes in Gaza.
– The downing of American and Israeli aircraft.
– Names and images of operation perpetrators.
Context Three: Reporting from Israeli-Hebrew Media
The goal: Increase views, amplify the strength of Palestinian resistance, and illustrate the Israeli occupation’s losses and weaknesses in the war.
Accounts on social media are publishing a range of information, claiming it originates from Israeli-Hebrew media outlets. They attribute the shared information to Hebrew media in general or specify certain outlets, such as Channel 12 or Yedioth Ahronoth. This information pertains to:
– Killing of soldiers in the Israeli army.
– Israeli prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza.
– Tensions between the United States and Israel.
– Israelis fleeing in fear of war.
– The prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and the occupation.
– Information regarding the operations of the Israeli army in the West Bank and Gaza.
Context Four: Linking an External Party to the Events in Gaza
The goal: To incite public opinion against or promote countries.
Egypt, Qatar and Iran had the greatest presence in this context, as misleading and out-of-context information, images and videos were spread regarding the roles of these countries and the statements of their officials regarding the aggression on the Gaza Strip.
– Egypt: Information spread, including photos and video clips, claiming that Egyptians revolted against the Egyptian regime, a recent visit by Egyptian businessmen to Israel, the Egyptian president’s statement that he participated in the liquidation of Hamas and armed factions in Gaza, Egypt building tents for displaced Palestinians in Egyptian Rafah, in addition to the death of wounded Palestinians inside ambulances at the Rafah crossing due to the Egyptian authorities’ requirement to bring passports, and others.
– On the other hand, information, photos and video clips spread claiming that the Bedouins of Egypt were heading to support Gaza, the Egyptian president appeared in military uniform in preparation for war with Israel, the Egyptian intelligence entered the Gaza Strip with aid, and other things.
– Qatar: A photo of a convoy allegedly belonging to the heads of the Israeli security services Mossad and Shin Bet in Qatar during the aggression on the Gaza Strip has been circulated. Information has also been circulated claiming that Qatar refused to hold the funeral of the former head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and refused to bury his body on its territory. In contrast, information has been circulated claiming that Qatar threatened to stop gas supplies to the world if the bombing of Gaza does not stop.
– Iran: Statements by Iranian officials, photos and video clips have spread regarding Iran targeting Israel or its readiness to respond to Israel’s targeting.
Context Five: General Situation in the West Bank
Misinformation about the West Bank took different forms and areas, some of which emerged as a reflection of the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and the other part related to the daily lives of citizens. The most important of which were the following:
– Israel’s intention to carry out military operations and raids on West Bank cities.
– Carrying out operations against Israel in the West Bank.
– Soldiers killed in West Bank.
– Setting the date for the high school results.
– Delaying the work of institutions.
– School closures.
– The Palestinian Authority provides financial sums and grants to citizens.
– Links to rewards and financial aid.
– List of names of the new Palestinian government.
– List of names of the new conservatives.
Second: Misleading and incitement against personalities
Misinformation during the aggression on Gaza and Lebanon was not limited to events, but extended to personalities. Misleading information, impersonation accounts, and incitement against specific personalities. The most prominent of them:
1. Palestinian activist Saleh Al-Jafrawi:
During his coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza , the Israeli-Hebrew media, “Israeli” accounts, and others supporting the Israeli occupation launched a campaign against Saleh Al-Jafrawi on social media platforms, questioning his credibility and claiming that he falsified the facts.
These accounts claim that Al-Jafrawi is falsifying facts and that he is a professional actor and that he plays many roles, as he is a doctor, a patient, a babysitter, a singer, and others, according to these accounts.
The accounts have dubbed him “Mr.FAFO,” which stands for “Fuck Around and Find Out.”
2. Palestinian journalist Moataz Azaiza:
Accounts claimed that journalist Moataz Azaiza no longer cared about what was happening in the Strip once he left it, and cited an old video clip of Azaiza from the Egyptian Air Force Museum, which they claimed was taken after he left the Strip.
They also posted a video of a group of people celebrating the Palestinian national team’s qualification to the round of 16 of the 2023 Asian Cup, and claimed that Azaiza was among them.
3. Journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh:
Accounts questioned the injury of journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh and the death of his daughter, in addition to publishing allegations related to his appointment as a parayer caller in Qatar and his resignation from Al Jazeera.
4. Head of Hamas Political Bureau Yahya Sinwar:
The appearance of Yahya Sinwar and his exit from the tunnels was one of the most prominent misleading information related to him, in addition to imaginary or old statements attributed to him during the aggression.
Accounts also published a video clip of two Gazans directing angry messages and insults at the spokesman of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, claiming that they were directing them at Yahya Sinwar.
5. Former head of Hamas’s political bureau Ismail Haniyeh:
Accounts questioned the martyrdom of his sons, in addition to publishing an old video of him, claiming that he was wandering around Qatar, not caring about the aggression on the Gaza Strip. Information spread claiming that he donated a million dollars to Hezbollah.
There were also allegations of his assassination, including videos from the scene of his assassination, and Qatar’s refusal to hold a funeral for him and bury him on its territory.
6. Former Secretary-General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah.
Videos of old speeches by Hassan Nasrallah have been circulating, and a manipulated image has been circulated claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu watched one of Nasrallah’s speeches.
Regarding his assassination, information spread claiming that Nasrallah is alive. In contrast, accounts circulated old video clips claiming that they document the celebrations of his assassination, in addition to a picture of a plane that was said to have targeted him.
7. Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi:
Information has spread claiming the death of Al Jazeera’s military analyst, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, in addition to his family receiving a letter from the Jordanian Royal Court requesting him to leave the State of Qatar and return to Jordanian territory. In addition, a video clip has been circulated out of context and taken from one of Major General Al-Duwairi’s interviews, accusing him of double-analysis. He has also been accused of making a false statement about the “Al-Karamah Crossing” operation.
In the same context, impersonal statements were spread that were attributed to the caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, to the member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and leader in the Fatah movement, Azzam al-Ahmad , and leaders in the Hamas movement, Osama Hamdan and Mahmoud al-Zahar .
A group of impersonation accounts were created, attributed to the daughters of the former head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, the daughter of the former deputy head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Saleh al-Arouri, journalists Wael al-Dahdouh and Moataz Azayza Ahmed Hijazi, and journalist Belestia al-Aqqad.
Third: The most prominent misleading accounts
– “GAZAWOOD1”.
– “Hoda_jannat” \ has been suspended.
– “ Youba Tv ”.
– “GazaEducation” has been discontinued.
– ”Quraysh”.
– Journalist “Edy Cohen“.
– ” Israel Israel “.
– ”lionsky“.
– “Hamas Atrocities”.
– “Mossad Commentary”.
– “Safaa Subhi”.
– “Saqr bin Abdullah”.
– “Here you are”.
– ”Rozan Qabas Al Salem. Yemeni Jewess”.
– “Moshi Moshi”.
– “Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT”.
– ”Tell me“.
– “Moscow | MOSCOW NEWS”.
– ”China in Arabic“.
– “Russian Brief | Russia news”.
– ”American events“.
– ”Russian events“.
Fourth: Artificial Intelligence and Electronic Games
Since 7th October 2023, and the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, a group of images and video clips generated by artificial intelligence have spread, some of which were used in the context of misleading and others in the context of sympathy, solidarity and influence. As a result, Kashif produced “From Misleading to Solidarity: How Artificial Intelligence Images Influenced the aggression on the Gaza Strip.”
Accounts posted video clips from video games as real from clashes in the Gaza Strip.
– A large part of the images and videos generated by artificial intelligence simulated real events that took place during the aggression on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, but social media users treated them as if they were real, such as a picture of children from the Gaza Strip inside the tents of the displaced after rainwater leaked into it, and a picture of a fire raging in the tents of the displaced in the Mawasi massacre in Khan Yunis, in addition to a picture of a police dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman in her home, and a video of fires resulting from raids on Beirut.
– Expressive images produced by artificial intelligence were also used to express solidarity or convey messages about the suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip during the aggression, such as a picture of a family eating amidst the rubble. The picture “All Eyes On Rafah” was shared on Instagram Stories by more than 50 million people, including many celebrities from around the world.
– In contrast, journalist Eddie Cohen used artificial intelligence to present a certain narrative about war and fighting, publishing an image generated by artificial intelligence as a bombed building in Gaza in the shape of a “Hanukkah menorah.”
– Accounts posted video games footage, such as “Arma 3” claiming that they were real, documenting the downing of a plane and the explosion of an Israeli tank.
Fifth: Reports prepared by Kashif during the past year
– Impersonating accounts bearing the names of journalists from the Gaza Strip
– 100 days of war, 100 days of misinformation
– Accounts questioning the death and injuries of Palestinians
– Hoda Janat’s account is an example of spreading misleading information via “X”
– Palestinian children targeted for misinformation during the aggression on the Gaza Strip
– From Misinformation to Solidarity: How AI Imagery Impacted the Gaza War
– Majdal Shams Tragedy: Fact and Claim
– “Youba Tv”: Multifaceted Misinformation
– Israel Hayom’s claims about unsafe polio vaccine in Gaza are misleading
– The assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and the rumors that accompanied it
– A group of rumors accompanied the Karameh crossing operation
Misinformation has various forms and contexts, all of which negatively affect the audience, either by pushing them to behave in a certain way or imposing a certain feeling on them. Misinformation can also build dangerous impressionistic images of a person, entity, group, or even an entire people, which are adopted by those exposed to it without scrutiny.
Wars and crises are considered fertile ground for misinformation. On the one hand, the recipient is thirsty for information, and on the other hand, information quickly overflows without verifying its accuracy.
“Not everything that is published is true,” is a point we must start from, and realize that in most cases, we only need a few minutes of research to verify the accuracy of what we receive.