9 August 2025
Hamas and Hamas-linked channels have used real, staged, edited and AI-manipulated material — especially hostage footage, selective/old imagery presented as current, and emotive deepfakes — to shape international opinion, pressure Israel on hostage negotiations, and mobilize its constituency. Independent fact-checkers and investigative outlets have repeatedly documented and debunked instances and patterns.
Types of Misinformation/Disinformation
1) Hostage videos used for pressure/propaganda (2023 → 2025)
Hamas has released numerous videos of hostages for propaganda purposes. These videos are authentic in that they show real hostages, but they are produced under duress and used as psychological warfare tools.
2) Reuse/mislabel of old footage presented as current Gaza events
Independent fact-checkers have documented multiple instances where Hamas or Hamas-affiliated accounts shared footage from other conflicts or earlier time periods, claiming it showed current events in Gaza.
3) AI-generated/altered imagery
Fact-checkers have identified AI-generated or deepfake videos circulated as real attack footage, particularly in late 2023 and 2024.
Verified Cases (Late 2023 → Mid 2025)
October 11, 2023 — Short-film behind-the-scenes clip misrepresented as recent staged propaganda. A clip from the production of a Palestinian short film was shared as evidence of staged war footage.
October 11, 2023 — Clip from Palestinian movie miscaptioned as staged war footage. A scene from a 2022 film was presented as evidence of fake casualties.
December 14, 2023 — Video claimed to show Hamas executing people by throwing them off a roof. This was debunked; the footage was from an unrelated incident years earlier.
November-December 2023 — Various hospital staff claims we're investigated and found to be staged or misleading.
January 8, 2024 — Arabic audio mistranslated to claim sex-slave threat. The translation was found to be fabricated.
January 15, 2024 — Hamas releases footage it said shows deceased/returned hostages. These claims we're unverifiable.
April 27, 2024 — New hostage video released by Hamas as a propaganda/pressure tactic. While the footage was authentic, it was produced under coercion.
October 4, 2024 — 2022 bus-station fire clip miscaptioned as a 2024 drone strike in Tel Aviv.
December 2024 — AI-generated/deepfake video circulated as real attack footage.
Motivations
Based on patterns noted by analysts:
- Psychological warfare — Shaping international opinion against Israel
- Negotiation leverage — Using hostage videos to pressure Israel in negotiations
- Constituency mobilization — Rallying support among Palestinian and Arab populations
- Distracting from military setbacks — Redirecting attention when Hamas suffers losses
Key Fact-Checking Sources
Organizations tracking and debunking misinformation in this conflict include:
- Associated Press (AP) Fact Check
- Reuters Fact Check
- AFP Fact Check
- NewsGuard
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
How to Identify and Counter These Tactics
- Check the date — Many false claims use old footage
- Reverse image search — Find the original source of images
- Verify the source — Check if the information comes from verified, credible outlets
- Look for corroboration — See if multiple independent sources report the same information
- Be skeptical of emotional content — Misinformation often uses highly emotive imagery