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Hamas wasted no time declaring victory, even before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the existence of a hostage release deal. Despite its losses, the destruction of its leadership and the devastation in Gaza’s streets, the terror group’s propaganda arm pressed forward.
"The Al-Aqsa Flood brought pride," they claimed in a flurry of social media graphics, showcasing their creative team working overtime.
This is a population uniquely capable of claiming both genocide and victory simultaneously. The objective is clear: to entrench Palestinian consciousness and reinforce Hamas' grip on Gaza. The armed terrorists who emerged amid celebrations as the cease-fire began underscore this.
Yet, beyond the absurdity lies a critical reminder of the parallel battle for public perception. The potential silence on the battlefield in the coming weeks doesn't necessarily signal a reduction in this campaign. On the contrary, it’s likely to intensify in the absence of physical fighting.
Israel faces a steep challenge countering Hamas’ messaging to its own population. If the Palestinians haven’t realized by now that their actions led to disaster, no Israeli awareness campaign will change that anytime soon.
But the Palestinian public isn't Israel’s primary target audience. The focus should be on the international audience, which has lost sight of why Israel is fighting and what it has yet to achieve. The world needs a reminder of the cruelty of the enemy and the reality that Israel’s national trauma won’t begin to heal until every hostage is returned.
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Hamas terrorists during the handover of Israeli hostages
(Photo: Turkish News Agencies)
In this sense, the hostage deal represents not only a source of joy, hope and worry among many— but also an opportunity to provide the world with critical context. While the IDF prepares the operation for the hostages’ return, "Wings of Freedom," Israel must also plan a parallel campaign: "Freedom of Truth."
Amid the inevitable flood of media coverage surrounding the deal, Israel should embed content that advances its interests — personalizing the hostages, putting faces and names to those coming home and underscoring that Israel won't rest until all are freed.
It must be made clear that their abduction is not just a personal tragedy but a collective catastrophe and that Hamas' existence remains a dire threat requiring its complete eradication.
This preparation can’t rest on the IDF alone or on a single government entity. It requires a national effort, integrating all state bodies tasked with conveying information to the international audience, to operate cohesively.
The truth is, that there is significant debate within Israel about continuing the war or the terms of the deal. But the international discourse is different. For much of the global media, the war began on October 8, 2023, and the struggle centers on Israel’s legitimacy to wage war in the first place.
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The statistics are stark: an October Harvard-Harris poll found that 44% of young Americans (ages 18–24) support a cease-fire even without the release of hostages. This alarming figure not only highlights a strategic challenge with America’s future leadership but also reveals a troubling ignorance of the circumstances — a serious threat to future phases of the deal.
Gadi Ezra Photo: Avigail UziThis deal offers a chance to set the record straight. Israel must allow the hostages to reunite with their families in peace, shielded from media intrusion. At the same time, it must not ease its grip on international media but work to protect itself from its narratives as well.
Gadi Ezra is the former director of Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate.