Three Ways the Media Continues to Protect Hamas

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

Following a brief ceasefire, Israel’s government has approved a plan to capture more territory in Gaza, force the release of remaining Israeli hostages, and establish lasting security control over the region. In doing so, they have re-launched and expanded its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, shifting from a containment strategy to an aggressive campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’ control once and for all.

Israel has not just had to fight against Hamas; they have also faced a prolonged mainstream media campaign seeking to dispute and obfuscate their intentions. In particular, the media has helped Hamas in three ways: lie about the identities and background of individuals Israel has targeted, push false narratives about the ceasefire agreement and subsequent breakdowns, and uncritically cite casualty numbers from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

_THE FACTS_

• Israel’s new war plan was finalized after weeks of Hamas stonewalling in ceasefire talks. Defense Minister Israel Katz and other top officials authorized a phased military campaign that includes retaking territory, clearing cities of combatants, and setting up security zones.

• Over the weekend, an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed senior Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil. In total, the IDF eliminated over a dozen Hamas leaders in the week following the collapse of the ceasefire. The two-month pause likely allowed Israel to gather key intelligence on their locations.

• Reporting from on the ground in Israel, Fox News’ Trey Yingst broke the news that two Palestinian journalists, Mohammed Mansour and Hossam Shabat, were killed by Israel in Gaza.

• This is the first way the media, even more conservative outlets like Fox, is helping Hamas. One “journalist’s” identity has been called into question, as he may have had foreknowledge of Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. The other posted favorably about the October 7 attack.

• Second, the mainstream media is pushing the narrative that Israel unilaterally broke the negotiated ceasefire. However, Hamas refused to release 59 hostages and rejected a US-backed interim proposal that would have extended the truce for 40–50 days, despite its previous agreement.

• Special envoy Steve Witkoff said Hamas may have "duped" him during his March 12 visit to Doha, where he believed the group had accepted the new proposal.

• Hamas instead insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal and a permanent end to the war as conditions to proceed.

• Third, mainstream outlets are still citing casualty numbers from the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is not a reliable source of information. The Hamas-run group inflates their casualty numbers, comes up with them extraordinarily quickly, and does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

• Some power players are beginning to push back against the media’s biased coverage. Martin Varsavsky, a board member of the media conglomerate that owns Politico, criticized the outlet for publishing what he called “one-sided Hamas support,” accusing it of pushing Hamas-supplied casualty figures while ignoring Israel’s military gains.

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