Israeli PR offensive falters after attack on hospital

Before its attack on Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, the Israeli military went to great lengths to portray the massive medical complex as Hamas’s military nerve center in the Gaza Strip. The military even shared with the press a detailed three-dimensional computer animation of a network of underground and well-equipped corridors and rooms from which Hamas would coordinate its war efforts. Israel wanted to show that the hospital was a legitimate military target. Because hospitals in principle have a protected status during wars, unless they are demonstrably used for military activities.

But experts say Israel has so far failed to produce the evidence needed to justify the bloody storming of Al-Shifa. The videos that the army shared on X the day after the capture only show small numbers of Kalashnikovs, rocket launchers, grenades and military equipment that were allegedly found. “Israel will have to come up with much more than a handful of ‘grab and go’ guns to justify closing hospitals in northern Gaza, with the enormous costs this will impose on a civilian population with urgent medical needs,” it tweeted Kenneth Roth, the former director of Human Rights Watch.

Israeli troops are still combing the enormous complex. The command center was located deep underground at the animation. And Israeli soldiers are under strict orders not to enter tunnels; they may only be explored with robots. On Monday, the army released images of an underground shaft it allegedly found at the hospital. It shows a staircase that ends in a long tunnel with concrete walls, which leads to a heavy metal door. Is this the entrance door to the command center? The longer it takes for Israel to produce convincing evidence, the greater the skepticism among public opinion.

High expectations

The faltering PR offensive around the Al-Shifa hospital shows how much difficulty Israel has in convincing the world that it is right. And in this case, the Israeli propaganda machine itself is responsible for the high expectations. The British weekly The Economist writes that many Israeli soldiers behind the scenes are critical of the army spokespeople because they allegedly painted an unrealistic, exaggerated picture of what was underneath the hospital. “Even Israeli intelligence officials do not believe that the group currently has its headquarters – if such a thing exists – underneath the hospital,” the magazine wrote.

former director of Human Rights WatchKenneth Roth Israel will have to come up with much more than a handful of ‘grab and go’ guns

This suggests a serious PR debacle, which could have major consequences for the course of the struggle in Gaza. Because the details about the Al-Shifa hospital influence the international climate in which Israel wages its war. Western countries have so far resisted a ceasefire because they see Israeli action in Gaza as a legitimate form of self-defense. But that is becoming harder to maintain as the Palestinian death toll rises. This was also seen in the 2014 Gaza war, when images of Palestinian suffering changed international public opinion. This led to the Israeli military operation being terminated under American pressure.

Things have not yet reached that point – even though the death toll in the Gaza Strip is many times higher than in 2014. This is first of all because the reason for this war is much more serious. The images of Hamas’ attack on October 7 were shocking. The international public was no longer used to violence against Israeli civilians, especially on this scale. Israel has used the horrific nature of the attack to portray Hamas as the ultimate evil, deserving of the same fate as Germany’s Nazi regime. It even paid for dozens of social media ads.

Legal reforms

Yet its effect on international public opinion appears limited. Because Israel is no longer seen as a small country that bravely holds out against Arab superior power. After more than fifty years of occupation of the Palestinian territories and several devastating wars in Gaza, Israel has changed from David to Goliath in the eyes of many Europeans. Moreover, Israel has become strongly right-wing in recent decades. The legal reforms that Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted to implement were widely seen in Israel and abroad as an attack on the rule of law. His cabinet includes ministers who openly advocated the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza.

An Israeli officer shows weapons and ammunition which he said were discovered at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City following the Israeli army’s storming of the hospital last week.

In addition, the media environment is now very different than in 2014. People have become much more accustomed to social media as a source of news and information. But at the same time they are also more suspicious because they have experience with disinformation and scandals. In the past, the Israeli army has often made statements that later turned out to be untrue. That is why the images that the army shared of Al-Shifa hospital are met with much skepticism. On social media, they are thoroughly scrutinized by users and professional fact-checkers. They have already discovered various inconsistencies, which undermines the credibility of the evidence presented.

Nevertheless, Western governments are still keeping Israel out of the wind for a while. But there is growing discomfort among the population about the high number of civilian deaths. There are protests in many Western capitals. To stifle calls for a pause in fighting, Israel has decided to allow aid and fuel into Gaza. But the damage has already been done. A recent poll showed that American support for the war has fallen from 41 percent to 32 percent. Under pressure from public opinion, President Biden has already adjusted his message. Because his unconditional support for Israel threatens to cost him votes. And next year there will be elections.