Ministry of Interior video guides locals on suitably anti-Israel wartime terminology, urges them to ‘display photos of the injured’
Hamas’s Ministry of Interior in
Gaza — still active despite a unity government with Fatah which
officially disbanded it — has requested that citizens not share photos
of rockets launched from residential areas in downtown Gaza lest Israel
strike those areas.
The ministry’s social media department published a video in
Arabic Thursday containing guidelines for “cautious and effective”
social media engagement on Facebook and Twitter during Operation
Protective Edge. The ministry calls on residents to be wary of repeating
Israeli “rumors,” and of adopting “the occupation’s narrative.” “Always
doubt it and dispel it,” the video advises.
“Beware of posting photos of missiles launched
from the center of town directed at Israel. This is used as a pretext
to strike residential areas in the Gaza Strip,” it continues.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami
Hamdallah, also appointed Minister of Interior in the new unity
government sworn in June 2, has admitted in an interview with
The New York Times last month that his Ramallah-based government wields
no control over the Gaza Strip. The website of Hamas’s ministry has
remained continuously active throughout the IDF operation, delivering
news and guidelines to residents.
When referring to casualties in Gaza, the term “innocent citizen” should always be added to the name, the video says.
“Begin your coverage of the resistance [Hamas]
activities by writing ‘in response to the brutal Israeli attack’ and
end it with ‘more than X martyrs have been killed since Israel began its
aggression against Gaza’.”
“Always focus on the role of ‘the Israeli occupation as aggressor’ and that ‘we in Palestine represent the response’.”
In some cases, the video’s advice straddles the line between operational security and efficient advocacy tips.
“Do not publish photos or video clips
depicting locations of rocket launches or movements of resistance [Hamas
members] in Gaza,” the video warns. “To Facebook news page
administrators, do not display photos of masked men carrying heavy
weapons up close, so that your page isn’t shut for inciting violence.”
Facebook commenters should describe the local
manufacturing of rockets as a “natural response to the occupation
launching missiles at civilians in the West Bank and Gaza.”
Photos, the video concludes, should include
documentation of the time and place they were taken, since Israel claims
that Palestinians are using archived photos as news.
“Make sure in every roundup to mention the
number of women and children killed or injured. There is nothing wrong
with displaying photos of the injured,” Hamas urged in the video.
Read more: Hamas to Gazans: Don't show Israel where we're firing from | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-warns-residents-against-revealing-downtown-gaza-launches/#ixzz37pvOCIe4
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