Voices in the Shadows: Gaza Heartbreak & Internet Propaganda PDF

**\"Voices in the Shadows: Revealing the Heartbreak of Gaza Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\"** =========================================================================================================== **Tumbaga, Angelica V.** **Fujioka, Angela Grace A.** **Cacayan, Kathlinne B.**...

**\"Voices in the Shadows: Revealing the Heartbreak of Gaza Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\"** =========================================================================================================== **Tumbaga, Angelica V.** **Fujioka, Angela Grace A.** **Cacayan, Kathlinne B.** **Navajas, Trisha O.** **Navarros, Angel Mae F.** **Garcia, Princess Jhoanna E.** **Dionisio, Harry Gabrielle** **Bachelor of Science in Food Technology 2A** **A.Y. 2023-2024** **\ ** I. **INTRODUCTION** In connection to the overpowering impact of digital media, the title ***\"Voices in the Shadows: Revealing the Heartbreak of Gaza Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\"*** sums up a thorough exploration of the human experience in Gaza. \"Voices in the Shadows\" refers to the commonly disregarded voices of people who reside in war areas, whose narratives are usually overshadowed by the onslaught of false information that circulates online. These perspectives represent the lived reality of individuals grasped by conflict, pain, and perseverance, though they continue to be silenced by internet propaganda. The expression \"heartbreak\" perfectly captures the psychological and emotional cost that the continuing battle in Gaza has taken. Amid global conflicts, it draws attention to the personal losses that occur, highlighting the fact that behind every statistic and news headline is a human story that is full of sorrow, terror, and faith. The title demands an improved awareness of the humanitarian issue by concentrating on these people\'s stories, which are sometimes concealed by political narratives. The line \"Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\" underlines the importance that digital communication has in influencing public opinion. Propaganda has the power to influence perceptions, provoke conflict, and distort the facts to hide the hardships that Gazans constantly endure. This onslaught makes it challenging to recognize genuine voices from staged ones, which is why it\'s so important to search and amplify the actual stories of those who are living in the shadows. \"Voices in the Shadows: Revealing the Heartbreak of Gaza Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\" is a title that calls upon us to search past the noise of propaganda and connect with real-life stories that reflect the devastating effects of war. II. **RELEVANCE IN TODAY'S LIVING** Social media plays a big role, in society by facilitating global communication and enabling people from various backgrounds to exchange information and personal stories effortlessly. It also serves as a powerful means, for activism propaganda dissemination and empowering individuals. However, it can also be the sole reason for sharing misinformation and disinformation that can harm individuals and certain regions. The significance of social media becomes particularly evident in the current heartbreaking reality happening in Gaza, wherein the region has turned into a battleground not only for the military but also a battleground for competing narratives. The heartbreaking realities faced by the Gazans are not just mere statistics but the stories of individuals and families that are shattered and lost by airstrikes. As the information flooded the internet, distinguishing what is the truth and manipulation is challenging. Despite the noise, many Gazans are finding ways to raise their voices. Through platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok, they document their realities putting their selves at risk. In an article, it said that some of the Gaza-related posts across social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) alleged one in four profiles are fake. Mendelsohn stated in the article "As with all sophisticated influence operations, I say the word 'disinformation' in the widest possible sense." He also adds "It doesn't just have to be fake news or fake information; it can be lots of different kinds of tactics and techniques." This is where misinformation and disinformation come in, where they intend to spread false information that can cause harm. Amid a flood of false information and divided opinions, the narratives from Gaza act as a powerful reminder of the personal experiences often overshadowed by political interests. III. **ISSUES/ CHALLENGES/ TRENDS IN GAZA AMIDST THE ONSLAUGHT OF INTERNET PROPAGANDA** A. **RECENT INCIDENTS AND DIFFICULTIES** **DIFFICULTIES** The ongoing conflict in Gaza brought about major difficulties, most especially the dominating of genuine local voices by prevalent internet propaganda that alters the reality of their lived experiences. Due to persistent stress and anxiety that is made worse by fear and false information, this distortion puts residents at risk for mental health crises. Children and teenagers, who are going through a formative period in their lives and may acquire long-lasting problems related to pressure and hopelessness, are especially vulnerable psychologically. Propaganda is so widespread that it makes humanitarian operations more difficult by distorting the seriousness of the issue and preventing sufficient international assistance. Sincere narratives are suppressed by restriction and surveillance, preventing locals from sharing their necessities and stories. This leads to an atmosphere in which the tragic realities of Gaza stay largely unnoticed, making advocacy and relief efforts more difficult. Furthermore, the conflict creates a huge digital divide that limits access to technology, making it more difficult for the locals to interact with other people and successfully express their experiences. Propaganda frequently uses civilian trauma for political ends, casting a shadow over real needs and sufferings. This polarizes audiences around the world and makes it more challenging to foster empathy and support for humanitarian initiatives. Propaganda exposure can have an enormous impact on youth, influencing their beliefs and prospects and possibly resulting in radicalization or hopelessness. Additionally, many young people may feel alienated from international stories that do not accurately reflect their reality. Finally, the spread of false information weakens public confidence in media outlets, making it more difficult for communities to identify trustworthy sources of information during emergencies and leaving them open to additional manipulation. In addition to making the misery in the area worse, this cycle of misinformation and deception makes it more difficult for those around the world to act responsibly and effectively. **RECENT INCIDENTS** During the Gaza crisis that continued in 2023, the spread of misleading information on the internet made things worse and added to uncertainty. The dissemination of fake news, altered videos, and misinformation has been facilitated by social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter). False information was allegedly spread by Israeli and pro-Palestinian media organizations to sway public opinion and defend their policies throughout the conflict.  One significant example is the video posted by the co-chair of a group that calls itself Republicans Overseas Israel showing a man playing with a baby. Many people soon caught out that the video was first released on TikTok in August and provides no evidence that it represents an abducted child and a terrorist. The description says it depicts a \"Hamas terrorist with a kidnapped Jewish baby girl in Gaza.\" Despite being flagged with a user-generated fact check, the X post has received a million views and is still up on the platform, even after comments requesting the creator to remove or edit it were made. Another instance occurred on X, where a user going under the username The Indian Muslim posted a video with the hashtag \"More power to you \#Hamas,\" claiming that the footage demonstrated an Israeli helicopter being taken down by an armed Hamas warrior with a massive rocket cannon fixed on his shoulder. Several debunking researchers noted that the video originated from the game Arma 3, both on the internet and in discussions with Al Jazeera. With over half a million views, the Community Notes-enabled post is still up. **These incidents highlight how quickly false claims can spread, even when there is no evidence to support them. It demonstrates how the online information ecosystem has become a critical part of the war, where misinformation and propaganda can escalate tensions, making it harder for international bodies and the public to discern the truth.** The decades-long conflict in Gaza has created a stream of internet propaganda that confuses the study of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in this region. Many Gazans have expressed grief and shock as they survey the destruction of their homes and the deaths of family members. The 2023 report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reveals that "over 1.1 million people in Gaza have been displaced, facing dire shortages of food, water and medical supplies, and does not mention ceasefires or humanitarian corridors," (OCHA). Indeed, these statistics are frightening but they can be suppressed by the excesses in too politically-driven storytelling that declares political concerns over bone-deep, human realities. Distinguishing between reality and propaganda has emerged as progressively complex due to the false news. A survey by the Pew Research Center reported that \"68% of Americans believe misinformation is a big problem in society\" (Pew Research Center, 2022). This is something that becomes ever more important in the case of Gaza as reports have vanished and the truth is distorted, leading readers to become indifferent to human suffering. There is a human story behind each item shared online as the journalist Rasha Abu al-Sahly indicated \'Every image has a story but we have to realize that these figures represent sad human stories\' (Abu al-Sahly 2023). B. **IMPLICATIONS OF ISSUES** Evidently, internet propaganda has brought numerous issues in our society which affected multiple key groups and created numerous judgments and opinions of the propaganda. With the rising world of online propaganda, the rate of fake news and hate speech has reached a broader workforce, this includes people creating fake violent images and videos all across the internet reaching thousands and millions of people all around the world. This type of fake news has influenced millions of people to build hate for specific key groups causing numerous misinformation and has caused people to be biased. It brings danger in shaping the people\'s opinions and knowledge that could affect the government and the battlefield. To this day poor representation of images and videos on several internet platforms has been spreading like wildfire. It has been shading the truth and information about the issues, like on October 7th in Israel the government of Israel partially caused in the efforts to protect the victims by publishing the evidence of the atrocities committed in public. At the same time, videos of these events have flooded multiple platforms, leaving important details about the event and seen by millions worldwide spreading fake stories and false information that caused numerous people to misunderstand the situation. Due to the ongoing fighting, bombing, and siege, over 2 million Palestinians---half of whom are children---are today in extreme humanitarian suffering. They lack access to food, safe drinking water, and basic medical care. Disinformation on the Israel-Palestine conflict has propagated on X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. Yousef Masoud/AP discovered that this is known as the purposeful dissemination of fake news. Instantaneous information is made available through social media platforms, but they also serve as a fertile breeding ground for spreading misinformation, making it harder for the general public to distinguish between true and false information. We are presently seeing the fallout from misinformation amid a catastrophic war, raising questions about the responsibilities of platform owners, content control, and regulatory measures. Gaza isn\'t receiving the necessary support. It is often known that misleading information may affect public opinion, cause uncertainty and anxiety, and have an influence on government policy. Making educated decisions may be hampered by this uncertainty. Oftentimes, manipulative information stirs strong emotions like dread, rage, or compassion, which may be used by immoral actors to achieve their own goals. Even more worrisome is the fact that misinformation that spreads among several nations may undermine diplomatic ties. Free Palestine keeps bringing attention to issues and giving money to charities. The risks increase the amount of good and bad information that is disseminated when combat goes online. Even if state-sponsored information warfare was there long before the internet, social media has made it possible for harmful lies and other types of misinformation to spread fast to millions of people. For instance, live streamers and scammers used outdated movies that they claimed showed the most recent footage from the front lines to upload them on TikTok during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in an attempt to get views and mislead viewers into contributing to fraudulent fundraisers. You shouldn\'t accept everything you read or hear concerning Palestine and Israel. Several have reported false information throughout several significant news events, and amid a crisis, people turn to social media for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they need support because the crisis has placed them or someone associated with them in danger, or it\'s because the mainstream news doesn\'t feel fast enough. Maybe they have no idea what to do while the entire world is on fire, so they would like to witness, share, and say something that depicts the truth of a significant point in time. For similar motives, misinformation and manipulation frequently propagate on social media, finding their way into the feeds of people who, regardless of whether they are unsure of the source\'s credibility, figure it can\'t harm to post an unsettling video, horrifying picture, or seek help. C. **CONCLUSION** ***\"Voices in the Shadows: Revealing the Heartbreak of Gaza Amidst the Onslaught of Internet Propaganda\"*** The title \"Voices in the Shadows\" explores the human experience in Gaza, highlighting the disregarded voices of people living in war areas. The term \"heartbreak\" captures the psychological and emotional cost of the ongoing battle in Gaza, highlighting the personal losses that occur. **The title emphasizes the importance of digital communication in influencing public opinion** and highlighting the challenges of recognizing genuine voices from staged ones. **The rise of online propaganda has led to the spread of fake news and hate speech, influencing millions of people to build hatred for specific key groups.** This type of misinformation has caused people to be biased and can affect the government and the battlefield. The Spread of Misinformation on Social Media Platforms Disinformation on the Israel-Palestine conflict has been propagated on various social media platforms, known as the purposeful dissemination of fake news. **Instantaneous information is made available through social media platforms but also serves as a breeding ground for spreading misinformation, making it harder for the general public to distinguish between true and false information.** The Impact of Misinformation on Gaza Misleading information can affect public opinion, cause uncertainty and anxiety, and influence government policy. Misinformation can stir strong emotions like dread, rage, or compassion, which can be used by immoral actors to achieve their own goals. Misinformation that spreads among several nations may undermine diplomatic ties. Social media has made it possible for harmful lies and other types of misinformation to spread quickly to millions of people. IV. **REFERENCES/ CITATIONS** **References** ============== Akerman, I. (2024, June 12). An information war on Gaza is being waged on social media \| WIRED Middle East. WIRED Middle East. -media-war-palestine/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFgu1dleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHV\_gAyOCV0kZFjDGmvHve9u1YZXB5EL4 \_bq2GJ06K09D-5h-6ce975ia3A\_aem\_HqNC1U9bXsuGdrs-rJtdJw Bond, S. (2023, October 10). Video game clips and old videos are flooding social media about Israel and Gaza. NPR. Boston University. Callahan, M. (2024, April 29). Misinformation, disinformation, and the Israel-Hamas war. Can, Y. (2023, October 20). Digital Deception: Disinformation's Impact in the Israel-Hamas War \| Wilson Center. Retrieved from www.wilsoncenter.org website: Crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory: What is happening and how to help \| International Rescue Committee (IRC). (2024, July 5). Retrieved from www.rescue.org website: Dixit, P. (2023, October 10). Social media platforms swamped with fake news on the Israel-Hamas war. Al Jazeera. Humanitarian Access Snapshot - Gaza Strip \| End-January 2024. (2024, February 5). OCHA. [https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian- access-snapshot-gaza-strip-end-january-202](https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-%20access-snapshot-gaza-strip-end-january-202) Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, (December 03, 2023) "The Israel-Hamas War Reveals the Fundamental Flaw of Social Media" Pew Research Center. (2022). Misinformation and its impacts. Rajvanshi, A. (2024, February 27). The mental health toll of the israel-hamas war on Palestinians. Time. Robert Dover, (February, 7, 2024), "Gaza is now the frontline of global information war" THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. (2023, October 30). Israel-Hamas war: Misinformation is spreading. Here are the facts \| AP News. AP News. [https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas- gaza-misinformation-fact-check-e58f9ab8696309305c3ea2bfb26925](https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-%20gaza-misinformation-fact-check-e58f9ab8696309305c3ea2bfb26925)