Gaza terror groups maintain a firm control on their propaganda conveyed through their public relations messages conveyed internally and, most important, to international media.
That is a fact that has been known for years. But how that takes place were revealed in a conversation between an intelligence officer from IDF Unit 504 with Palestinian Islamic Jihad political bureau spokesperson Tariq Salami Otha Abu Shlouf, who described the process in detail.
Watch.
“The international media differs from the Arab ones. They focus on humanitarian issues. We don’t speak to them in the language of violence, destruction and revenge.
“They come and say, ‘Let’s talk for a minute or two, but only talk to me about the humanitarian side,’ meaning, for instance, you’d say, “It’s our right to live,” “We want the situation to return to normal, and our children to live like other children in the world,” “We have the right to receive capabilities and institutions.”
“This is the humanitarian side. And the other side, some of the international media organizations automatically address evets like Al-Ahli, when an event happens, they turn to us … Only three things interest him [the journalist]: ‘Was the fallen rocket yours?’ Khaled Albatsh, of course, answers him, ‘No, it’s from the occupation.’
“Of course, the journalist knows that the rocket is indeed ours and not yours.”
Even knowing the truth, the journalist dutifully echoes the lies fed to him by the terror organization, Abu Shlouf confirmed.
“Yes, because they ask him to review the article before publication, telling him to send it to us before he can publish it so we can review it.”
“And if it’s not to our liking it doesn’t get published,” the Israeli interrogator asks.
“No, of course not, because he (the journalist) needs us for more interviews,” Abu Shlouf replies.
The Islamic Jihad spokesperson also disclosed that terrorist organizations are operating from all of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
The reason? All the hospitals have 24-hour internet access, in addition to round-the-clock electricity. “There are places within them that they choose,” he said, such as a designated room in the Emergency Room, two rooms in an X-ray department, a room from the specialist department, and another room in the Internal Medicine department. “They don’t completely close them (the departments),” Abu Shlouf emphasized. “Decisions are made in these rooms.”
During the precise, intelligence-based operation carried out by the IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) in the Shifa Hospital, more than 500 terrorist operatives associated with terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip were apprehended.
Included among the terrorists who were transferred to Unit 504 of the Intelligence Directorate and the Shin Bet were senior officials and operatives who are significant sources of information for the terror organizations.
Among the terrorists detained was Abu Shlouf, whose interrogation provides insight into the propaganda and incitement operations carried out by the terrorist organizations.
During the interrogation, Tariq revealed details of the operational method used by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to manipulate the Arabic and international media, with a focus on creating false narratives and lies about what is happening in the Gaza Strip.
Tariq admitted that the explosion in the Al-Ahli Al-Ma’mdani Hospital at the beginning of the war was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket, and that the organization chose to knowingly lie and blame Israel for the event.
Tariq himself acted to incite terror and propaganda operations from within the Shifa Hospital.
The Islamic Jihad spokesperson admitted to the use of the hospital compound and medical equipment for terrorist purposes, such as using ambulances to transport senior operatives of the terrorist organizations into and out of the hospital.
