Attack on the Gaza Hospital: Those Who Control the Narrative Hold a Significant Part of the Victory in Their Hands

El Mostrador, October 21, 2023

In the digital age we live in, the lies circulating on social media are quickly identifiable, and thus, the truth has a chance to survive despite the incorrect messages and falsehoods that seek to feed the system.

A professor of mine at the Naval School used to say that war is dirty and that the first thing lost in the dirtiness is the truth, something that became very clear on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 17, the day of the explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.

Shortly after the explosion, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, various media outlets reported that it was an Israeli-origin attack, something that by the first light of the following day was already evident was incorrect. As days passed, it became absolutely clear that the explosion did not originate from a missile or rocket from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). News networks, in their own way, sought to rectify their error, but the damage was already done, as the protests and anti-Jewish violence stemmed from the lie of Hamas and the lack of rigor and professionalism of those who mistakenly amplified something that was not true.

Those who did not want to concede the point to Israel argued that the behavior of that country in some previous situations had not been as expected, and therefore assumed it was them. For experts, the overwhelming visual evidence (without needing to wait for other types of explosive and fuel samples) made the truth evident: it was not Israel’s fault, as their guided missiles and bombs leave different damage upon impact than what was observed.

In the digital age we live in, the lies circulating on social media are quickly identifiable, and thus, the truth has a chance to survive despite the incorrect messages and falsehoods that seek to feed the system. This is something that terrorist organizations like Hamas have yet to learn.

In all eras, especially during wartime, information was managed. The goal was to ensure that the enemy did not know what was happening or, outright, to deceive them, while also seeking to ensure that one’s own believed the official truths, in order to maintain their motivation to continue fighting or sustaining the war effort. What Hamas did was just that: it deceived the media, which allowed itself to be misled, publishing incorrect news that aimed to incite Palestinians and Arabs in general, undermine support for Israel, and cast doubt among Israelis about the ethics and morality of their military effort, but they did not realize the clumsiness of their effort, and the lie became more than evident after a few days. Those who control the narrative hold a significant part of the victory in their hands, but that narrative cannot be based on lies.

In its effort to eliminate Hamas, the IDF will seek to ensure that civilian casualties are minimized, as it knows that moral and ethical superiority can evaporate in an instant if it makes mistakes that cause large numbers of civilian casualties; the same applies if it does not allow for humanitarian efforts in Gaza. In the process of eliminating Hamas, the end does not justify the means, and both the how and the purpose or final state sought are important. This cannot come at any cost, regardless of the barbarity and cruelty demonstrated by Hamas in the attacks of October 7.

In its defensive effort, Israel needs to count on the support of the U.S. and the Western world, especially if other fronts open along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. This support is not unconditional and demands impeccable behavior. It does not take away their right to defend themselves or to eliminate enemies who wish to make them disappear. They are only asked to follow the rules of war and not to place themselves on the same level as those who killed, raped, and kidnapped their citizens. They are asked not to act with a hot head and to follow the example of their great heroes and military leaders of the past, such as Jonathan Netanyahu, who always acted with strength and composure, but also justly and prudently.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President of AthenaLab

Source: El Mostrador