A Phone, a Lie, & a Global Storm: Hamas Propaganda vs the Truth

Modern day blood libel. Major media outlets should be massively sued so that they learn a painful lesson that they cannot fabricate stories with impunity and call it journalism.

In today's world, a single person with a smartphone can alter the course of international opinion. With one well-edited clip—decontextualized, misleading, or outright fabricated—a false narrative can go viral within minutes, spawning global outrage, diplomatic consequences, and media firestorms. When it comes to Israel, this weaponization of imagery has been used repeatedly—and to devastating effect.

It Ain't the First Time

Think back to October 2023, when headlines around the world screamed that 500 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza hospital. Within hours, the story was accepted as fact in global media, echoed in statements from world leaders, and met with protests worldwide. Yet it was false. The explosion was later shown—by U.S. intelligence, aerial analysis, and open-source investigators—to have been caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket. But the damage had already been done.

Or recall the so-called “Jenin Massacre” of 2002, widely reported during the Second Intifada. International media ran with horrific claims—hundreds dead, war crimes committed—only to retract or revise them when the facts emerged: the actual number of Palestinian deaths was 52, most of them combatants, and 23 Israeli soldiers also died in house-to-house fighting aimed at minimizing civilian casualties.

Consider this: according to Hamas figures, not one combatant has died in two years of war in Gaza. This is how effective lies are created -- boldly and without shame.

These examples show how fast a lie can travel—and how slow the truth is to catch up.

We live in a time when one clip, without context, can inflame the world. But that same digital power can—and must—be used in the service of truth. If misinformation can spread in seconds, so too can clarity, evidence, and context. The difference lies in who is prepared and who is proactive.

That’s why it's no longer enough to merely “respond” to falsehoods. We need to be first, not just right. We must be vigilant, organized, and creative in using the same tools—videos, visuals, storytelling—to show the truth, not just say it. We must train the next generation of students, influencers, journalists, and everyday citizens to recognize disinformation and respond swiftly with facts, empathy, and visual counter-narratives rooted in reality.

A smartphone can spread a lie. But in the right hands, it can also spotlight the truth. That is our challenge—and our opportunity.