Two Years of Genocide in Gaza: How Did Israel Exploit Its Official Accounts to Promote Its Narrative?

Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has not been confined to the military arena. It has also extended into the battlefield of information, waging one of the fiercest propaganda wars of the digital age. While bombs and missiles targeted land and people, official Israeli social media accounts targeted public perception through counter-narratives, curated images, distorted figures, and claims meant to obscure what was happening on the ground.

In this dual war, official accounts such as that of Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee—and others belonging to state institutions—played roles far beyond merely relaying a political or military stance. They became strategic tools in constructing a comprehensive narrative that sought to legitimize the aggression, justify civilian losses, and undermine the Palestinian narrative internationally. The misinformation was not the result of error or confusion—it was a deliberate strategy. Studying this phenomenon is essential to understanding how public discourse is shaped and controlled during wartime. Misbar has documented dozens of misleading claims from official Israeli sources.

Coinciding with the second anniversary of the war, this report reexamines the most prominent misinformation techniques used by Israeli official accounts. It combines Misbar’s findings from the past two years with new analyses that shed light on recurring patterns and systemic manipulation.

Misinformation Techniques Used by Official Israeli Accounts

The misinformation spread through Israeli official accounts was no coincidence. It was part of a calculated strategy to control information flow and construct a parallel reality. These accounts did not simply share Israel’s perspective—they employed consistent propaganda tools designed to justify violations on the ground, discredit the Palestinian narrative, and shape global opinion.

Techniques included distorting visuals by taking footage out of context or recycling old images, manipulating numbers by inflating or minimizing statistics, and linking unrelated events to create misleading impressions. Messages were amplified across multiple platforms to reinforce them in public consciousness. The accounts also redirected narratives by blaming victims and portraying Palestinians as responsible for humanitarian suffering—classic propaganda methods updated for a digital audience.

This article reviews the most notable of these techniques, analyzing verified examples from official posts to show how they form part of a broader “narrative war” in cyberspace.

Using Selective Material to Portray “Normal Life” in Gaza

One of the key misinformation strategies employed by official Israeli accounts is selective presentation—choosing isolated clips and images to suggest “normal life” in Gaza. These curated depictions of bustling markets or stocked restaurants aim to deny the existence of a humanitarian crisis and project an illusion of stability, despite extensive international reports documenting severe shortages.

On July 28, 2025, Israel’s Arabic-language account on X posted two videos showing markets filled with produce, captioned: “Where is the famine that Hamas and the United Nations are talking about?” The footage presented temporary abundance as representative of daily life, ignoring U.N. and humanitarian reports citing extreme scarcity, soaring prices, and residents’ daily struggles to find food.

Between August 21 and 25, 2025, Misbar observed a coordinated campaign involving multiple official accounts—from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and “Israel in Arabic” to embassies in France, Spain, Ethiopia, and Argentina. The campaign relied on a single restaurant video clip, sourced from Gazan business accounts, which was reposted in more than ten languages to depict “a thriving food scene.” Each post repeated the phrase “there is food in Gaza.”

Investigations revealed that the footage reflected isolated, limited operations by restaurants trying to survive amid war. Israeli accounts repurposed this material out of context to deny the impact of starvation policies, ignoring U.N. data showing catastrophic food insecurity.

The campaign’s reach extended beyond official accounts, amplified by pro-Israel social media networks, including the “Gaza Wood” account, which mirrored state propaganda by republishing the same clips. These examples demonstrate the coordination between official and supportive unofficial networks to craft a false image of normalcy in Gaza—using exceptional, unrepresentative visuals to mask widespread suffering.

Taking Scenes Out of Context to Deny Gaza’s Tragedy

Repurposing images and videos out of context remains one of the most pervasive disinformation tactics used by official Israeli accounts. The strategy involves detaching footage from its original time or location—or presenting unrelated material as if it depicts a current event—thereby manufacturing “evidence” to support official narratives.

On September 3, the “Israel in Arabic” account on X posted a behind-the-scenes video showing a child actress in a staged scene with explosions, captioned: “Producing scenes of hunger is a thriving industry in Gaza above ground, directed by Hamaswood.” The clip, however, was not from Gaza at all—it was a creative short by Saudi filmmaker Fawaz Al-Zahrani, posted on Instagram weeks earlier. Misbar verified that Al-Zahrani had since published several pro-Palestine videos, contradicting the Israeli claim that the footage represented “fabricated” famine scenes.

Similarly, on December 14, 2023, spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted videos claiming that “70 Hamas operatives surrendered at Kamal Adwan Hospital.” Misbar revealed the footage actually showed civilians and medical staff sheltering during an Israeli ground incursion—not militants. The claim misrepresented the scene to justify the targeting of a medical facility.

These cases show how Israel’s official social media channels manipulate or decontextualize visual material to justify violence and cast doubt on reports of civilian suffering.

Alternative Narratives After Attacks on Hospitals, Schools, and Journalists

Attacks on hospitals, schools, and journalists often trigger international outrage. In response, Israeli official accounts quickly release alternative narratives—either denying responsibility, blaming Palestinian groups, or flooding public discourse with conflicting claims to obscure accountability.

After the October 17, 2023, bombing of Gaza’s Baptist Hospital, which killed hundreds, Israeli official accounts initially blamed the Islamic Jihad movement, alleging a “failed rocket launch.” Hours later, they shifted to claiming the blast occurred in a parking lot, ignoring independent investigations confirming the hospital was directly struck.

A similar pattern emerged after the September 10, 2024, strike on the Al-Mawasi area near Khan Yunis. The Israeli army claimed it had targeted “Hamas operatives” and had warned civilians to evacuate. Misbar’s field investigation, however, found that the airstrike hit a densely populated civilian zone, killing 19 people—including children and doctors—and injuring around 60 others. The victims’ names and identities were documented, disproving Israel’s claims.

The Al-Mawasi Massacre and the Nasser Medical Complex Strike

On August 25, 2025, Israeli airstrikes hit the upper floor of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, killing Reuters photographer Hossam al-Masry as he broadcast live. Minutes later, another strike targeted rescuers and journalists. At least 22 civilians died, including five journalists, a doctor, and civil defense workers.

While Israel later expressed “regret” and promised an investigation, the military simultaneously issued statements suggesting that Hamas had installed surveillance cameras nearby. These claims lacked supporting evidence, contradicting field reports and eyewitness accounts showing drones targeting the hospital directly.

Pro-Israel networks complemented these statements with campaigns labeling the victims “terrorists,” revealing a dual strategy: public expressions of remorse alongside parallel efforts to justify the killings and dilute international condemnation.

Manipulating Numbers: Exaggeration and Minimization

Another hallmark of Israel’s propaganda is numerical manipulation—either downplaying civilian death tolls or inflating figures of aid deliveries and militant casualties. The goal is to challenge Palestinian and UN data while portraying Israel as acting responsibly.

The “Israel Speaks Arabic” page claimed “thousands of tons of medical equipment” had entered Gaza and that COGAT coordinated aid daily. However, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported severe shortages, with medical stock running dangerously low across all departments. Misbar correspondents confirmed hospitals lacked basic materials like sutures, antibiotics, and anesthetics, forcing doctors into impossible choices between saving limbs or lives.

Manipulating data in this way allows official accounts to create an illusion of humanitarian compliance while concealing systemic deprivation.

Addressing Palestinians in Arabic: The Psychological Front

One of the most sophisticated Israeli tactics involves addressing Palestinians directly in Arabic, using familiar expressions and cultural references to build temporary trust before inserting propaganda. This “soft power” approach frames Israel as rational, humane, and even religiously respectful.

Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee frequently uses this tone, mixing religious language with political messaging. On March 29, during Eid al-Fitr, he wrote: “Peace-loving peoples celebrate Eid, but terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have no Eid… those who choose blood do not know joy.” The message sought to divide Palestinians between “peaceful Muslims” and “terrorists,” portraying Israel as moral and restrained.

By employing Arabic-language messaging that mimics empathy while subtly reinforcing occupation narratives, Israel’s digital propaganda turns psychological influence into a weapon of war.

Network Analysis: Who Amplifies the Propaganda?

The spread of Israeli propaganda depends on an interconnected web of amplification. Misbar’s analysis found that accounts such as “Israel in Arabic” and Adraee’s page serve as primary sources, while pro-Israel journalists, embassies, and influencers act as secondary distributors—translating, reposting, and reframing messages to broaden their reach.

Following incidents like the Nasser Medical Complex strike, this network worked to synchronize messaging: official regret statements were paired with justification narratives, minimizing the attacks’ impact. The coordinated effort shows how digital propaganda blurs lines between official communication, advocacy, and misinformation.

Through these methods—selective imagery, decontextualized footage, numerical manipulation, and psychological targeting—Israel’s official digital network has sustained a long-term campaign to shape perception, obscure accountability, and rewrite the narrative of Gaza’s suffering.

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