Selfies of War: The Powerful Role of Social Media Amidst the Crisis in Gaza
A photograph of a Palestinian protest in London on October 21, 2023.
By Sam Coleman ‘28
Last summer, 27-year-old Bisan Owda used her social media to post lifestyle content that celebrated the vibrant culture and history of Palestine, her home. This content was always accompanied by a bright smile, cheerful music, and a warm greeting.
Today, her social media looks different. Instead of her usual welcome and shining smile, tired eyes look out from every post, accompanied by a bleak phrase: “Hi, I’m Bisan from Gaza, and I’m still alive.”
Over a year after the conflict between Palestine and Israel was reignited on October 7, 2023, the Gaza Strip is still facing a humanitarian crisis. Over 40,000 people have been killed, and more than 92,000 people have been injured. Healthcare and education systems have collapsed, and famine-like conditions further plague the people within the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs declared that the entire population is suffering from acute food insecurity.
For people like Bisan, it’s critical that the world sees this destruction—visibility is the first step to action and change. This is just one example of the use of social media amidst the war in Palestine. Social media users across Gaza have been documenting the war and its effects on the lives of Palestinians, turning social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok into powerful tools for the dissemination of firsthand information on the crisis.
History of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
To many, the conflict between Palestine and Israel began on October 7th. If only it was that simple. The state of Israel was created in 1948 as a result of conflicts between the Arab majority and the ever-growing Jewish population. Britain originally controlled the land after World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, but after a failed two-state solution put forth by the United Nations, Britain—unable to solve the problem—withdrew from the area, and Jewish leaders declared the creation of the state of Israel.
During this time, attacks between Jewish and Arab militias had intensified, coming to a head in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. This war, lasting almost a year, led to the Nakba, a period of intense displacement of Arabs from their land. Hundreds of thousands of Arabs were forced from their homes as Israelis took control of the territory. The result was a map of the land that separated Palestine into two territories: the West Bank bordering Jordan, and the Gaza Strip on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, sharing a small border with Egypt.
For decades after this war, numerous conflicts have created an overload of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and neighboring countries. In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, creating settlements in the area over the past 50 years that have been highly contested by Palestinians who have been forced from their homes. Peace talks between the two countries have been debated on and off for decades, but no concrete deal has come to fruition.
In 2006, Hamas took control of governing the Gaza Strip, and ousted the previous majority Fatah party. Hamas, a group with the main goal of terminating the state of Israel, is recognized as a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, among others. This government takeover led to an increase in violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, as many attacks were launched on both sides. These attacks most prominently consisted of the firing of rockets on Israeli cities by Hamas, Israeli airstrikes on highly-populated Palestinian areas, and blockades of goods moving into Gaza. Most recently, the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7th led Israel to declare war on Hamas, leading to the displacement of millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This war has created harsh conditions of food scarcity, lack of healthcare, and poor living conditions, causing tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza.
The Role of Journalists in War
Journalists are some of the most significant figures in any war or global crisis. Journalists shed light on essential topics, allowing the general public to learn about the intricacies of international issues. In times of war, journalists are considered civilians. Intentionally attacking civilians, including journalists, is considered a war crime.
The war in Gaza has seen at least 140 journalists and media workers killed and another 69 arrested. This toll is felt globally, as each journalist acts as a window into life in the Gaza Strip; each journalist’s death limits the ability of the public to understand the truth of what is happening in Gaza. These journalists provide real, firsthand accounts of this war, creating minute-by-minute, on-the-ground documentation. Using photos and videos, the general public is able to learn substantially more about the truths of this conflict than they would otherwise.
Social Media’s Power of Spreading Information
The use of social media to spread information is not a new phenomenon, but it is especially relevant in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Many Palestinians have utilized social media as a tool to document their firsthand experiences in a place where many international news agencies cannot send correspondents. This shift from traditional media and news outlets to firsthand accounts documented by Palestinians living through this crisis—Palestinians like Bisan—elicits a sense of humanity among the public. This also highlights another crucial piece of the role of journalists: the ability to sway public opinion. These firsthand accounts created by Palestinians in Gaza constitute a new form of journalism that has influenced many individuals globally throughout this crisis.
This influence is observed in an increased global will to act. Through public petitions, millions of people have called for a ceasefire, and millions of dollars have been donated to charities looking to aid those struggling in Gaza. These efforts can be seen across social media in thousands of posts and videos demanding change, aid, and peace.
The Plague of Misinformation
At the same time, social media has also been a prominent source of misinformation. On platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), misinformation has run rampant on both sides of the conflict, including false claims, fake videos, and bot accounts. This comes at a time when X is undergoing changes to its algorithm for limiting misinformation, such as the shutting down of its Trust and Safety Council and modifications to the verification process—making fraud, impersonation, and bots more prevalent. For example, anyone is able to buy the “blue check” verification, allowing any account to appear as an official source of information. This has allowed fake accounts to post false war reports, and edited or old videos of attacks.
Millions of posts are uploaded each day, and on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, misinformation is flagged using an algorithm. This algorithm is not perfect at spotting false information when faced with nuanced phrases, cultural context, and hidden meanings. It is even more faulty when it comes to pictures, videos, and livestreams. The spread of misinformation has proven to be difficult to control.
Looking Forward
Today Bisan woke up and posted on her Instagram and TikTok accounts. Each day she works to shed light on the issues in Gaza, but each day she is also just trying to survive. Bisan gives the world a glimpse into her life and struggles, but she does not have the luxury of scrolling past it. Millions of people in Gaza suffer from the hands of the same crisis as Bisan—famine, displacement, lack of healthcare, and much more.
But thanks to the insights from the social media platforms of Palestinian journalists, support has poured in from across the globe. In this unprecedented era of global online interconnectedness, real change can become possible on a scale that would have previously been unimaginable.