In a war already full of shocking images, perhaps one of the eeriest has no violence in it at all. Instead, a pink landscape with stars, rainbows and unicorns backs text urging parents of young children to stand with Israel after the HamasA militant Palestinian organisation, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in the UK. attacks of 7 October.

The video has divided viewers. For some, it is a sign of how deeply traumatised Israeli society is by the terrible carnage of the attacks. For others, it is a chilling piece of propaganda by a state looking to win international support as it commences its bombing of GazaThe smaller of two Palestinian territories, home to two million people. It is located on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Israel and Egypt. .

This is nothing new. Both groups in the conflict have long used social media in what has been described as an "information war".

Israel, experts say, is disseminating photos of the aftermath of the Hamas atrocities online in an effort to build and maintain international sympathy as they prepare an assault on Gaza.

Israeli leaders are aware that footage of Palestinians killed or injured in their attacks on Gaza could start to turn the tide of opinion against them. They hope that they can prevent this by reminding the world of their own people's suffering.

Critics of Hamas allege that the group uses Palestinian civilians to fight the information war. They accuse the group of embedding their military assets in the civilian population, using ordinary Palestinians as human shieldsA method of warfare in which civilians are placed near military sites to prevent attacks from the other side. Often the civilians are not given the choice of whether or not to be placed in danger. .

Then when Israel attacks them, they claim, Hamas reaps the benefit as images of the destruction circulate online and the world condemns the IDFIsrael Defence Forces, Israel's national military. for killing civilians.¹

But the Israeli army's own critics, in turn, argue that the army uses this claim as cover for indiscriminate bombing, while blaming the killing of any civilians in the process on Hamas.²

Meanwhile, it is clear that during the 7 October attack, Hamas's own members live-streamed atrocities.³

Some fear that as this new stage in the conflict reaches boiling point, social media could also be used to justify further atrocities.

Material is already circulating dehumanising both Jews and Palestinians. Threats against Jewish people spiked by 488% on TelegramToday: an encrypted instant messaging app. In the past: a message sent via electric wires and delivered as a printed piece of paper. As every word was expensive, making the message as short as possible became an art. A famous joke telegram sent from Venice read, "STREETS FULL OF WATER PLEASE ADVISE". on 7 October.⁴ Meanwhile, a video of an elderly Israeli reservistSoldiers who do not serve in a country's regular army, but can be called upon when needed. encouraging Israelis to "erase" Palestinian civilians has been seen millions of times online.⁵

Soon, the Israeli army will enter Gaza. Many of its soldiers are reservists with little experience of war. Many will have been consuming anti-Palestinian social media for a week and a half before the attacks. Some observers fear they will not distinguish between Hamas and civilians.⁶

But experts point out that the information war in Israel and Palestine is not just on social media. When Israeli President Isaac HerzogAn Israeli politician, who has been president of the country since 2021. appeared to blame all Palestinian civilians for the crimes of Hamas, it was at a traditional press conference.⁷

Meanwhile, many foreign leaders have contributed to dehumanisation in their own way. US senator Lindsey GrahamAn American Republican Party politician, who is a senator for South Carolina. called on Israel to "level" Gaza.

Israeli historian Raz SegalAn Israeli historian who lives in the USA. He has written books about the Holocaust. , a specialist in genocideThe annihilation of a people, either through killing of its members, or through the suppression of its culture. studies, has warned that dehumanising language being used by Israeli and foreign politicians is building momentum behind the ethnic cleansingThe systematic forced removal from one area or killing of an ethnic group, with the aim of creating a region that is ethnically homogeneous. of Palestinians.⁸ It is something that Israel rejects fiercely.

Social media may well be contributing to the dehumanisation of Palestinians and Jews, experts say - but political leaders are also doing this without its help.

And late last night, a development in the conflict showed how difficult it is to establish accurate information during war. After a huge explosion at a hospital in Gaza City left hundreds feared dead, Hamas blamed Israel. Israel's military blamed a different group - Palestinian Islamic JihadA Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organisation. It is listed as a terrorist organisation in many countries, including the UK. . And then Palestinian Islamic Jihad denied responsibility too.

Yes: The online world will be key in this conflict. Both groups hope to use it to win international support. Partly as a result, disinformation and dehumanisation abound.

No: The information war is real, but it is largely being fought by more traditional means: through newspapers and press statements. People these days are too mistrustful of social media for it to be of any use.

Or... The real Gaza conflict is clearly on the ground. The winner will not be the one who wins the information war. It will be the one with the strongest army.