As the kinetic war between Israel and Hamas enters its second month, another war is also raging that doesn't involve bullets. On that front, the terrorist government of Gaza has found far more success. That's due to the willingness of global news outlets to share information sourced back to Hamas as if it has any credibility whatsoever.
A big part of that revolves around civilians, and Hamas has mastered the art of placing them in harm's way only to use their deaths as a propaganda tool. It has long been reported that the terrorist government uses hospitals as cover for its headquarters and weapons dumps. You don't need to take the word of Israeli sources on that either. Captured Hamas fighters admit to it.
Hamas terrorists from the October 7th Massacre give evidence of Hamas’ abuse of the largest hospital in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/DQJVqqon5a
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 10, 2023
Another recent video perfectly illustrates how that plays out inside Gaza.
#BREAKING Hamas police and Al Qassam fighters are recorded firing their weapons at residents attempting to flee the Al Nasser hospital in Rimal, central #Gaza City after the Israelis declared the daily humanitarian opening to the south pic.twitter.com/E7DeemwXLS
— Gaza Report - اخبار غزة (@gaza_report) November 10, 2023
In the video, which appears to be sped up, you can see civilians waving white flags as they attempt to leave the Al Nasser Hospital. The IDF had recently warned those there to evacuate due to Hamas activity within the structure. Yet, as people tried to flee, Hamas fighters began firing their weapons in the air, forcing them back inside.
Why? Because Hamas doesn't care at all about civilians dying. In fact, it wants them to be on top of military installations so that when they die, the "Gaza Ministry of Health" can use them as a messaging tool, and unfortunately, news organizations around the world are more than happy to play along.
While it's largely been memory-holed by a barrage of "ceasefire now" demands by pro-Hamas figures, it wasn't that long ago that Palestinian Islamic Jihad struck a hospital in Gaza and then claimed it was an Israeli airstrike. Press outlets throughout the United States and Europe rushed to repeat Hamas-sourced claims that at least 500 people had died.
The next day, as the sun rose and exposed the site, it became clear there was no airstrike. No real crater was present and the hospital itself was nearly undamaged (aside from a few broken windows). The on-the-ground evidence pointed to a fire burning in the parking lot, caused by the unspent fuel of a rocket that had fallen short. News outlets quietly posted their half-corrections and everyone just moved on to the next anti-Israel outrage.
That's who Hamas is. They use civilian deaths, many of which they are the root cause of, as their most powerful tool in war. Unfortunately, mainstream press outlets in the United States and elsewhere are more than happy to run with the disinformation provided to them because it fits their political wants. In this case, that means Israel stopping its quest to destroy Hamas and once again entering into a long-term cycle of violence.
In the face of such a propaganda onslaught, Israel has no choice but to ignore it. There is no scenario where Hamas can remain in control of the Gaza Strip. Such an outcome would only guarantee another bloody decade, both for Israelis and Gazans.
War is not pretty. It's not clean. There are often calculations and trade-offs that those not holding a rifle in battle will find uncomfortable. That doesn't negate the realities of the situation, though. Hamas' continued existence only ensures the cycle of violence will continue.
