Pyrra Report: Israel-Hamas War - Propaganda and Disinformation

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the digital sphere has witnessed an unprecedented surge in mis/disinformation, hate speech, and propaganda.¹ Pyrra’s latest investigative report on the conflict shed light on the integral role played by alternative social (alt-social) media platforms, including Telegram, 4chan, Rumble, and Gab. These platforms, standing in stark contrast to the mainstream social media giants like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, have emerged as influential conduits for the circulation of inaccurate and harmful content throughout the conflict.

Since the publication of our last report three weeks ago, two significant trends have emerged across the alt-social ecosystem:

1. Significant growth and proliferation of AI-generated propaganda and hate speech targeting Jewish and Palestinian (Muslim) communities, and
2. The weaponization of the Israel-Hamas conflict by various groups within the United States to drive domestic far-right campaigns against immigration, black lives matter, the Biden Administration and the Democrats more broadly.

1. Growth and proliferation of AI-generated propaganda

Propaganda: propaganda continues to spread on alt-social promoting anti-Israel and anti-Palestine rhetoric. This can be largely attributed to the absence of robust content moderation and fact-checking mechanisms on these sites, which is further exacerbated by algorithmic amplification,² coupled with the more stringent guidelines of mainstream sites around the posting of graphic/violent content, which is a popular form of propaganda shared by both sides of the conflict.³

Recent examples of propaganda on alt-social:

• Despite Telegram’s attempts to restrict access to some Hamas-affiliated accounts,⁴ Hamas is still using Telegram to distribute press-releases and statements, graphics/images, and promotional videos.⁵
• Users are deploying deep fakes and generative AI to generate propaganda.

a. An image of a baby trapped under rubble went viral, but later turned out to be fake,⁶ and

b. Users on Truth Social and a Hamas-linked Telegram channel shared false pictures of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covered in blood.⁷

• White supermacists, like Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes, post inflammatory videos on Rumble in attempts to radicalize supporters online.⁸

a. Fuentes - a known anti-Semitite - has consistently promoted anti-Semitic narratives and conspiracies since the start of the conflict.

• Users are fabricating reports from credible news sources.

a. On Telegram, a widely shared video clip shows a falsified BBC News report confirming Ukraine provided arms to Hamas.⁹

• Charlie Kirk, co-founder and president of the far-right conservative group Turning Point USA, frequently spreads anti-Muslim messages on Rumble and Telegram, often associating Islam to terrorism.

Atrocity propaganda is a popular tool used by both sides to elicit strong emotional reactions. This is especially worrisome because sensational content drives user engagement, further amplifying its reach.¹⁰ Recently, false reports that Hamas baked a baby in an oven circulated on alt-social.¹¹

• The term “genocide” is also heavily used by supporters from both sides to shape public sentiment.¹²

Hate speech: There has been an alarming rise of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric since the start of the war. This content flourishes on alt-social where individuals holding extremist beliefs can openly voice their opinions without fear of censorship. Additionally, many alt-social media websites permit users to maintain anonymity or use pseudonyms, providing cover for individuals and entities seeking to share content without accountability.¹³

This has already produced real-world consequences:

• The FBI has reported an uptick in threats against Muslim and Jewish communities.¹⁴
• London’s Metropolitan Police reported a significant rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks.¹⁵
• The French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin shared that more than 20 people have been arrested in connection with anti-Semitic incidents in recent days.¹⁶
• In an anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate crime in Illinois, a 6 year-old Palestinian boy was murdered when he was stabbed 26 times in his home. His mother was also stabbed and choked, leaving her critically injured. Authorities said the killing was an extremist reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Evidence showed the suspect was radicalized by right-wing rhetoric on the conflict and shouted “You Muslims must die” ahead of the stabbing.¹⁷
• A Jewish protestor died after an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor during a pair of simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonsrations in California.¹⁸
• In New York, a woman was punched in the face at Grand Central Terminal because she was Jewish¹⁹ and police charged two men with hate crimes for allegedly being part of a group that shouted anti-Muslim slurs during an attack on three men.²⁰

2. Weaponization of Israel-Hamas conflict to further far-right campaigns in the U.S.

Conspiracy theories: Alt-social continues to be an attractive breeding ground for the latest conspiracy theories about the Israel-Hamas conflict. These theories tap into pre-existing hate speech and prevailing conspiracy theories amongst alt-social communities. These unregulated and unmoderated environments tend to attract niche communities of like-minded individuals, often forming echo chambers where dissenting opinions are rare.²¹ This enables the rapid spread of disinformation within these communities as these audiences are more vulnerable to tailored propaganda and misinformation campaigns.²²

In particular, we are observing the convergence of narratives linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict with the agendas of far-right movements. Some popular conspiracy theories circulating focus on:

• The interconnectivity of Hamas & Black Lives Matter movement²³
• That the Hamas attack was an inside job/the IDF kill their own and blame it on Hamas²⁴
• The mass immigration of muslims is #1 on Israel’s agenda²⁵
• That Hamas is an Iranian proxy/Iran funded the attack to stop an impending Israel/Saudi/US treaty

• The U.S. government/media is captured by the left/Democrats²⁶

• The U.S. government/media is captured by the Israel lobby.

• There are Hamas and Hezbollah sleeper cells in the U.S., including certain members of the U.S. government.²⁷

Advancing Domestic Agendas: The dynamic nature of the Israel-Hamas situation allows users to draw connections between the geopolitical events and a wide array of domestic issues (especially with an eyen to the 2024 Presidential elections), ranging from foreign policy stances to issues deeply rooted within the U.S. socio-political landscape. For example, the above Hamas sleeper cell narrative is easily manipulated by anti-Immigration pundits trying to drive legislative change or as part of a broader policy platform.

Other trending issues include:

• The use of anti-Muslim rhetoric to criticize U.S. immigration policies, which has recently become exacerbated as pro-Palestine protests erupt in the U.S. and around the world.²⁸

• Other users continue to cite Israel’s strict gun control laws to advocate against U.S. gun control.

• U.S. aid spending has become a hot-topic as lawmakers in Washington debate how to lower the federal budget deficit.