Battleground Twitter
As the Gaza conflict rages online, is social media now an instrument of war?
As Israel continues air strikes in Gaza, its army is also increasingly moving to war tactics online. The Israeli army announced its military operation not through a news conference, but on Twitter.
Both the Israeli army and Hamas are posting updates on their attacks in real time. Israelis and Palestinians used dueling hashtags as they battled for control of the narrative on social media.
Twitter also became a vital outlet for Gazans to spread information even after the power was cut off. The hacker collective Anonymous is reportedly fighting to keep Gaza online after fears spread that the Internet might be cut.
In this episode of The Stream, we speak to:
Omar Baddar @OmarBaddar
Social Media Manager, Arab American Institute
aaiusa.org
Avi Mayer @AviMayer
Director of New Media, Jewish Agency for Israel
Harry Fear @harryfear
Documentary Filmmaker
harryfear.co.uk
Rana Baker @RanaGaza
Blogger and activist
electronicintifada.net/blogs/rana-baker
Mohammed Suliman @imPalestine
Blogger and activist
msuliman.wordpress.com
The Stream will continue to cover the conflict in Gaza as it develops. Tweet us your content or leave your thoughts in the comments below.