Gaza-Israel conflict: How social media has spotlighted Gaza on the world stage
- Apr 5, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 21, 2025
*Disclaimer - As this topic is fast changing, all of these figures and stats are correct as of March 2024 but may not be in the future*
Growing up in the 2000’s, I felt most British kids were blissfully unaware of the goings on in the world. Our Tamagotchis and imaginations kept us entertained, and the Blackberry was the height of technological fashion. To us, the most important things were school drama and what we were having for dinner. I don't think we knew a thing about the governments at war in a “far off land”, nor had we probably even heard of Palestine.
Now, in 2024, we have devices at our fingertips with access to social media platforms where information is spread instantaneously; this has increased awareness all over the globe. One person who, I believe, has sparked uproar on social media showing the reality for Palestinian civilians is Bisan Owda. At only 27 years old, Bisan is, according to her Instagram bio, “a filmmaker and dreamer”. Bisan has shared her life living in the Gaza strip with 4.4 million Instagrammers. Many check-in every day, waiting with bated breath to see whether she survived another night in the conflict. And even in her happiest videos, you can hear the planes and bombing behind her. In one video, you hear the sound of these planes as she shows us her favourite flower, a red hibiscus, which she came across in a small patch of green land; the first she has seen since the conflict escalated in October.
The attacks by Hamas on 7th October, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,139 Israelis and the capture of nearly 250 others according to the Israeli Prime minister's office which were, in my opinion, nothing short of horrific. Civilian lives were lost in a seemingly terrifying way which I can't even imagine.
In response, Israeli forces, according to the Hamas-run health ministry killed more than 30,600 people in the Gaza strip and the impact on the civilian population, looks to be devastating.
Bisan, to me, is a human face sharing human experiences, some being extremely graphic. She shares what she sees. As she shelters in hospitals and schools, I think we can see, even from our comfy homes, the terror civilians face; hearing how they have run out of food and water and how their homes have been bombed from under their feet. It should be, in my view, a kick in the teeth hearing a young woman telling us about the death tolls of her people and the horrific ways they have been injured or killed, but I also worry that the constant exposure to this kind of content has begun to desensitise us to human suffering because we can simply scroll away from what makes us uncomfortable.
Social media has several drawbacks, including the ease of spreading propaganda and the influence of how news is worded on our opinions and beliefs. This is then reflected in what we share on social media.
A social media user's study of BBC coverage from October to December suggested significant disparities. For instance, "died" was used 82 times for Israelis versus 201 times for Palestinians. Additionally, "murdered" and "massacred" were used 124 times for Israelis, compared to once each for Palestinians.
Many social media posts subconsciously reflect what appears to me as victimisation of Israelis and the dehumanisation of Palestinians. However, I think on both sides it is difficult to put down our own personal biases and find the objective truth. Ordinary social media users have no simple way of verifying what they see on their feeds, which can feed political discourse.
Winding back to 1917, in an effort to muster up Jewish support for Britain's involvement in the First World War, the Balfour Declaration was signed, which pledged to establish a Jewish National Home in Palestine. This pivotal agreement, I believe, set the stage for much more than the 6 months of conflict we’ve seen escalate on our screens today. In 1948, head of the Jewish Agency, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed that Israel was an established state following a vote from the United Nations. President Harry Truman recognised it as a new nation on the same day, causing mass displacement for Palestinians, many to the Gaza Strip.
Map of Gaza Strip: from furthest points the Gaza strip is under 30 miles long and home to about 2.3 million People
(Source: CIA Factbook)
Viewpoints, appear vastly different between Israelis, shown through social media profiles. Some Israelis advocate for a two-state solution, with others supporting the annexation of Palestinian territories.
In regards to this, the prime minister of Israel said in a statement, “Citizens of Israel, Everyone knows that it was me who – for decades – has blocked the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger our existence. My position has been, and remains, clear. It has only been reinforced since the terrible massacre of October 1 7th” (Source: https://www.gov.il/en/pages/statement-by-pm-netanyahu-19-feb-2024 )
The contrast between the opinion of civilians and their governments, in my opinion, has never been clearer than when the populations use social media to speak to like-minded people rather than relying on news that can be notoriously biased. A YouGov poll from November (Source: YouGov poll) showed that while Rishi Sunak’s government stands in favour of Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist organisation Hamas, public desire for Israel to call a ceasefire stands at 66%.
The importance of social media, in my view, cannot be understated. Despite its biases, it unites people and has given individuals the chance to bring their realities in Gaza to the forefront of global consciousness. It has brought the deaths of innocent people on all sides of the conflict to the global stage and now millions across the world can remember them and pay their respects. These are people, not our childhood Tamagotchis; I know that I can’t possibly look away.
Sources
BBC Coverage Study:
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