by Guido Olimpio
The propaganda challenge: According to Israel, the bombed hospital in the heart of Gaza covered a junction of the Hamas tunnels. The bodies of two hostages were found nearby. However, good concrete evidence is lacking
A war without borders with thousands of deaths. Tunnels and collisions in urban areas. In the middle is the challenge of propaganda. The latest battle in these three dimensions concerns Al-Shifa Hospital in the heart of Gaza.
Israel has claimed for years that Hamas has set up a command center beneath the complex, connected to tunnels to other positions. American intelligence partially shared the accusation in vague terms. The Palestinian movement, supported by its political sponsors, has always denied this. The army resumed it as the offensive began, making the center a priority target. He surrounded him and then began searching panicked doctors and patients. An operation that provoked protests and dissent even within the US government because it was considered that it should be considered a sanctuary, especially in such a tragic situation. Netanyahu’s government did not give up, it is unlikely that it was ready to do so after the prime minister himself promised to neutralize all places used by the mujahideen after the massacre of defenseless people.
After taking control of part of the area, the soldiers released videos of the material they said had been confiscated during the inspections. Several Kalashnikov rifles, magazines, some uniforms, equipment. Nearby is the entrance to a vertical tunnel. Outside, not far away, the bodies of two hostages, including that of Yehudit Weiss, 65 years old, resident of a kibbutz, suffering from cancer, kidnapped by terrorists. According to official sources, these are indications that confirm their thesis. Depending on their opinion, the reaction of observers and international media is skeptical or cautious: There is no concrete evidence to pin down the accused.
The speakers explained: 1) The investigation is just beginning, checking each individual environment takes a lot of time. 2) We need to find out where the discovered passage leads. We must tread carefully for fear of explosive traps during a complex war situation. The call to give more space to the investigation is shared by some experts, who at the same time show pessimism about the possibility of arriving at a precise answer soon. Part of the problem lies in the mystery of the tunnels, an argument used by opposing parties. Hamas boasted of having built them over hundreds of kilometers (which has yet to be proven) and showed some of them on video. Jerusalem has confirmed this by pointing to the existence of the hiding places dug by Palestinian moles, to the caves in which the hostages were imprisoned (there is a direct statement from a released prisoner), to the tunnels prepared for defense and attack. To the north, in Gaza City, or to the south, in Khan Younis, another point where the militia bunkers would be located. “They are there for me,” said former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who appeared very wary of Al Shifa.
The strip is a narrow and well-developed rectangle in which the al-Qassam Brigades, like the other factions, have built part of their structures (missile sites, depots, shelters) in populated centers. Moving between neighborhoods wearing civilian clothing, the population becomes a human shield and suffers the collective punishment of Israeli bombings in which the target is always presented as a military position. With each crisis, the competitors’ propaganda fire grows ever more intense, fueled by stories that consist of four chapters: proving they are right, disputing what their opponent says, bringing the undecided to their side, and finally giving their supporters issues all in one global duel where only a few are willing to listen.
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November 18, 2023 (modified November 18, 2023 | 10:21 p.m.)
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