The growing willingness of the Israeli media to provide critical analysis of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has all but evaporated in recent weeks after the armed group "Hamas" released videos of two emaciated and malnourished Israeli hostages.
After footage of starving Gazans sparked international outrage in late July, some Israeli print and television outlets began reporting on the deteriorating conditions in the enclave, calling for more action to provide humanitarian aid.
Yonit Levy, the chief news anchor for Channel 12, called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a "moral failure" on live television, while university presidents and the president of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, called on the government to help starving Gazans.
Throughout the 22-month war, Israeli media outlets have largely focused on the trauma and impact of the Hamas attack. on October 7, 2023, have had an impact on Israelis. According to Israeli figures, about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. The main focus of the media has been the fate of the hostages and the sacrifices made by the Israeli army. Some Israelis have welcomed Levi's statement and the series of materials discussing conditions in Gaza as evidence of a willingness to examine the impact of the war on Palestinian civilians.
But sentiment in Israel sharply escalated on July 31, when "Hamas" released a video of an emaciated 21-year-old Israeli hostage named Rom Braslavsky, crying in pain. Three days later, another video followed of 24-year-old Eviatar David, who says he was forced to dig his own grave. The videos, which a Palestinian source said were intended to show the horrific impact of the humanitarian blockade on Gaza, backfired and ended Israel's growing sympathy for Gaza's civilians.
Hamas was condemned around the world and thousands of demonstrators in Israel took to the streets to demand the immediate return of the hostages. There are still about 50 hostages in Gaza, but only about 20 are believed to be alive.
Uri Dagon, deputy editor-in-chief of Israel Hayom, Israel's most widely circulated newspaper, said that as long as Hamas held hostages in Gaza, Israelis "are unable to bear the pain of the other side." "I know it sounds terrible, but it's the truth," he added.
Dagon accused foreign media of succumbing to "a campaign of lies" about the famine in Gaza. Although his newspaper had published stories about the famine there, Dagon insisted that Hamas was to blame. He questioned why foreign media outlets, which had published pictures of emaciated Gazans, had not given the same attention to the heartbreaking footage of Eviatar David. "I suggest that senior editors in the international press reflect on themselves and only then comment on the behavior of the Israeli press," Dagon added.
DENIAL OF THE Famine
Polls in the period immediately after October 7, 2023, showing that most Palestinians approve of the attack carried out by "Hamas", have sparked anger in Israel. Videos of Gazans crowding around the hostages in the midst of the attack, filming them with their mobile phones, spitting on them and beating them have also caused lasting discontent.
Harel Choev, a senior researcher at the "Moshe Dayan" Center at Tel Aviv University, a specialist in media and Palestinian society, said that incidents like this make it difficult for many Israelis to empathize with the people of Gaza.
Israel denies international media access to Gaza. As a result, those media outlets rely on Palestinian journalists, and many Israelis have little confidence in what they report. Some point to the lack of press freedom in Gaza under the authoritarian rule of "Hamas".
"I don't think there is hunger in Gaza," said Orit Maimon, a 28-year-old lawyer from Tel Aviv. "I don't believe the situation there is ideal or very good, but I don't think there is famine," he added.
The Gaza Health Ministry says 222 people, including 101 children, have died of hunger and malnutrition since the war began.
The right-wing Channel 12 television channel has devoted itself in recent weeks to producing reports that cast doubt on reports of starving children.
Some Israeli media outlets have reacted angrily after the British newspaper "Daily Express" published a front-page photo of a child with a long-standing health problem.
The Jerusalem-based think tank, the Israel Institute for Democracy, this month published a poll showing that 78 percent of Israeli Jews believe their country is doing enough to prevent suffering among Palestinians. Only 15 percent of respondents believe Israel could do more and has chosen to refrain.
The Israeli offensive is making reporting on the situation in Gaza dangerous. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Israel has killed more than 230 journalists in Gaza since November.
Reuters has not been able to independently verify the figures.
Israel denies accusations that it is targeting journalists and says many of those killed are members of armed groups using their work as a cover.
The Israeli army said on Sunday it had killed an Al Jazeera journalist in an airstrike. The army accused Anas al-Sharif, 28, of leading a Hamas cell. Ash-Sharif denied the charges during his lifetime, and human rights activists said he was targeted for his journalism.
According to Gaza health officials, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT
Poll results taken during the war showed that about 70% of the Israeli public wanted Israel to reach an agreement to release the hostages, even if it meant an immediate end to the war.
Several Israeli media outlets have criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for failing to return the hostages home or to come up with a clear plan for Gaza after the conflict ends.
Among the most outspoken critics is the left-wing newspaper "Haaretz", which also publishes a significant amount of material on the suffering in Gaza, including investigations into the army operations.
Translated from English: Nikolay Velev, BTA