Tel Aviv, Israel (AP) – War Gaza Strip Israeli news has begun to look different these days.
For most of the past two years, Israeli television stations have paid little attention to their suffering in Gaza. The suffering of hostage families A soldier’s death in battle.
But that’s changing. Over the past few months, several Israeli stations have begun to share Graphic images of malnourished children and some in-depthly reported stories about the difficulties of Palestinians’ daily life.
This subtle change occurs as Israel faces Unprecedented global anger Beyond the ongoing war, it reflects the deep divisions surrounding whether military attacks should be stopped, but protests and media coverage have little effect on Israeli policy.
“We are not only truly caring about the situation in Gaza, but also from an Israeli perspective, are we acting correctly in a way that serves the purpose of this war?” said Elan Amsalem, professor of communications at Israeli Hebrew University.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignores him mostly A lot of movement They are seeking an end to the war, which focuses on returning hostages. On October 7, 2023, after an attack by Hamas and two years of regional fighting, the appeal on behalf of the Palestinians has even less traction.
October 7th shock
The first image of the war was that Hamas-led militants were raiding the border and plundering Israeli army bases and agricultural communities. Footage from Gaza shows people celebrating hostages as if they were being beaten through the streets and covered in blood.
Approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and 251 were taken hostages. Forty-eight remained in Gaza, of which around 20 were believed to be alive.
It was the worst attack made at Israeli homefront and dominates the local newscast. In the early months, Israel gathered around the flag after what was called 9/11, but international media quickly shifted their focus to the invasion of Gaza.
“For most of the war, Israeli media has reported little about the suffering, hunger and destruction in Gaza,” said Rabib Drucker, a well-known Israeli news anchor. “If they report it, it’s only from an Israeli perspective,” he explained in terms of how effective it is to destroy Hamas.
Israel has banned international journalists from Gaza since the start of the war, other than visits organized by the military. The US-based committee to protect journalists is the most fatal conflict the group has ever documented for reporters; At least 189 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli fires.
“It’s the 21st century and it’s a strange war because everyone has a phone to broadcast,” Drucker said. “But there’s no one on the ground, so you can’t say, ‘There’s someone on the ground that I trust.’ ”
The danger of highlighting the suffering of Gaza
Some newscasters who highlighted the humanitarian catastrophe are facing backlash.
Yonit Levi, a well-known news anchor known for her cool attitude, made a characterless comment in a report on international media coverage of Hungry in July.
“Maybe it’s time to realize that this is not a failure of public diplomacy, it’s a moral failure and that’s where it all begins,” she said. Refusing to speak to the Associated Press, Levi called him a “Hamas spokesman” by analysts on Pro Netanyahu Channel 14 and accused right-wing activists of “spewing in the face of Israeli soldiers.”
Commentators from right-wing outlets, including Channel 14, regularly cheered on the murder of Palestinians and demolishing their homes, saying there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, and that the military should act with even greater force.
The attack was killed Over 64,000 Palestiniansaccording to the Gaza Ministry of Health, it does not say how many civilians or combatants were. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals. That figure is considered reliable by UN agencies and many independent experts. Israel challenges the numbers, but does not provide its own.
Zvi Yehezkeli, Arab Affairs Correspondent for Israeli I24 TV, welcomes Murder of five journalists On the Israeli strike at the hospital last week, they denounced them without evidence to work with Hamas to spread false news that was harmful to Israel. “It’s never too late,” he said.
The Israeli military is none of the journalists Mariam Dagga, who worked at the AP Other publications have suspected extremists and denied targeting them.
Signs of change
Still, coverage has changed slightly in recent weeks, with some lengthy stories of Palestinians appearing in major outlets.
Israeli journalists have given more airtime to the hunger crisis, partially fueled by a 2-1/2 month ban on all humanitarian assistance in Israel – Includes food and medicine – Early this year.
The mainstream television news program features several interviews with Palestinians in Gaza, but despite pressure from Hamas, it has been digitally changed to keep people talking to Israeli media safe. However, these stories are still far higher by focusing on domestic issues.
Nir Hasson and his colleagues of Israel’s left-leaning Harletz newspaper report widely on the Palestinians both before and during the war, in articles often critical of Israeli actions. But that is an outlier in the current media landscape.
“After October 7th, there is no doubt that something has broken, and dealing with the pain on the other side has become completely illegal,” Husson said.
“But I think the Israeli masses are more mature than the media gives them credibility,” he added. “I think the public has the ability to listen. I think the media is censoring themselves too much.”
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