Ashraf Aldmour
The Gaza conflict underscores a central fact of modern war. The decisive contest is often fought in the information environment, where attention, emotion, and perceived legitimacy shape what governments can do and what publics will tolerate. US doctrine increasingly treats information as a foundational element of military activity and calls on the Joint Force to operationalize informational power to shape perceptions and behavior through the Joint Concept for Operating in the Information Environment (JCOIE) and the DoD OIE Strategy. Operations in the information environment are defined as integrated actions intended to affect drivers of behavior by informing audiences and influencing relevant actors, as described in a CRS report.
That environment was especially contested in Gaza because the war unfolded under intense global visibility and constant online scrutiny. Every strike, casualty report, and humanitarian convoy could trigger immediate diplomatic pressure and rapid amplification on social platforms. In practice, Israel and Hamas ran parallel campaigns to shape interpretation, mobilize supporters, deter adversaries, and limit external intervention. Hamas was a central driver of messaging from Gaza, but it was not the only source.
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