Israel’s War on Palestinian Journalists: 25,000 Digital Violations and Targeted Attacks Amid Gaza Assault
A new report exposes Israel’s systematic efforts to silence Palestinian journalists through digital censorship, mass arrests, and lethal attacks amid the war on Gaza.
Watan-Since the start of Israel’s war of extermination against Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have systematically targeted Palestinian journalists, their families, and media offices. This was accompanied by deliberate violations of their digital rights, aimed at restricting their ability to report on the reality of events in Gaza.
A report released last week by the Sada Social Center and the Lamma Press Foundation for Community Media documented violations against Palestinian journalists’ digital rights in Gaza and the West Bank during the war. Digital rights, such as access to the internet, information, and freedom of expression, are part of the broader human rights framework, which Israeli authorities have continuously violated before, during, and after the aggression on Gaza.
Internet Restrictions and Digital Suppression
Internet users in Palestine face multiple challenges, including privacy concerns and data protection, particularly given Israel’s control over telecommunications infrastructure and its influence on social media platforms. These challenges escalated with the onset of the war in Gaza, severely impacting Palestinian journalists who experienced digital incitement, content suppression, hacking attempts, identity theft, internet shutdowns, and cyberattacks on news websites—further complicating their mission of reporting the truth.
Content Suppression During the War
The Sada Social Center recorded 25,000 cases of digital violations during Israel’s assault on Gaza, with 29% targeting journalists and Palestinian media institutions. These violations included account deletions, restricted content reach, and account suspensions.
Journalist Taqwa Hanoon from Tulkarm reported that her YouTube channel was permanently deleted, while Instagram restricted access to her personal and professional accounts, removing dozens of her posts and stories. TikTok also blocked some of her videos and removed others.
The pressure and surveillance led Hanoon and other Palestinian journalists to abandon WhatsApp, owned by U.S. tech giant Meta, in favor of more secure messaging apps like Signal. This concern is backed by Sada Social’s documentation of 700 Palestinian phone numbers being banned since October 7, 2023, with 76% belonging to individuals in Gaza.
Journalist Jihad Barakat from Al-Araby Al-Jadeed noted the severe restrictions on his reach across platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and to a lesser extent, Instagram, making it difficult to publish content and report news. He pointed out the existence of an automated system designed to censor Palestinian content. Barakat also revealed that he often rewrites his posts to avoid using certain words—such as “martyr”—which could lead to post removal.
Similarly, journalist Ubada Tahaineh from Jenin had to modify his reporting style to circumvent censorship. He avoids using precise terms and common expressions to prevent punitive actions such as post deletions or account suspensions. He warned that even minor wording changes could have serious consequences, including the deletion of Palestinian journalists’ social media accounts.
Digital Incitement and Cyber Attacks
Sada Social documented over 200 inciting posts calling for attacks on journalists in Palestine during the war on Gaza. While most of these posts came from Israeli sources, some were traced to Palestinian Authority-affiliated accounts.
Israeli incitement campaigns led to the arrest of 145 journalists in the West Bank and Jerusalem. These campaigns also sought to justify the killing of journalists in Gaza by labeling them as terrorists. According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, the number of journalists killed has reached 205. Additionally, Sada Social identified 85 inciting posts from official Palestinian Authority sources and Arabic-language accounts, which contributed to the closure of Al Jazeera’s office and the arrest of several journalists associated with it.
During the war, Sada Social recorded more than 1,200 hacking attempts targeting Palestinian journalists’ Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with 16 cases of identity theft aimed at discrediting them. Journalists also received direct threats via text messages and social media. The report warned of growing concerns that technology is being weaponized to suppress, spy on, and intimidate Palestinian journalists, calling for stronger privacy protections and digital security measures.
As Israeli calls for the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians intensify across social media, the digital space has become a battleground for hate speech and incitement. In response, Sada Social urged users to report hate speech posts and accounts, categorizing them under “Hate Speech,” or to contact Sada Social directly, which provides free legal and psychological support in the West Bank and Gaza.
