Earlier this week, Israel abandoned its plans to designate parts of Gaza as humanitarian zones. Given the context of an ongoing conflict and deepening humanitarian crises, this decision is deeply troubling. This decision is a welcome step in a highly important scrutiny of all the evidence presented by Israel’s defense team at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Forensic analysis has unveiled the large-scale photographic manipulations in these publicity stunts. That picture just got a good deal more confusing. President Joe Biden’s assertions about the inaccuracy of Palestinian figures on casualties in Gaza have made the issue more acute for the United States.
Forensic Architecture is an international research agency that uses architectural analysis and visual investigation. They analyzed the documents submitted by Israel’s legal counsel at hearings held by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In particular, their findings indicate that Israel’s team misrepresented imagery time and again, constituting claims of duplicitousness.
The report identifies at least eight separate examples of misrepresentation to the Court by the Israeli legal team. They combined this faulty annotation with a deceptive written narrative to mislead audiences in their interpretation of the photo evidence. The Israeli team showcased an impressive aerial video with a big bugaboo at top. They said it was proof of a long-range rocket launch being made from the vicinity of Gaza’s main water desalination plant. Forensic Architecture concluded that this feature is indeed a crater. After some deliberation, they figured out that it had been the result of an air-dropped munition from an Israeli strike.
These types of discoveries have contributed to much warranted disbelief in the official story that is supposed to justify Israel’s military offensives in Gaza. Since the unprecedented Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Israel has severely limited access to foreign journalists. This self-imposed limitation has rendered it harder and harder to independently verify claims. Those aid workers who have been allowed in have faced severe limitations further inflating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Google Maps recently opened their updated satellite imagery of the already razed area of Gaza to the public, presenting a chilling re-creation of a war. First camera drone footage shows hellish humanitarian aid checkpoints and military target maps. These visuals effectively dispute statements asserting that Israel’s military operations are solely focused on targeting Hamas. Against this extensive backdrop, Google Maps users have tagged various sites across Gaza as “haunted houses.” It is this haunting word that captures the fear and devastation that Tunisians have lived since.
How the U.S. government has contributed to this story cannot be understated. Indeed, President Biden’s recent comments doubting the veracity of Palestinian claims of civilian death tolls have led to a considerable outcry. He remarked, “I have no notion if Palestinians are telling the truth,” a comment that many perceive as dismissive of the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the lives lost. It rehashes the president’s earlier claims that Hamas was beheading infants. These claims have been widely debunked for the patent absence of corroborating evidence.
Analyzing these developments reveals a troubling pattern of misinformation and denial regarding atrocities committed in Gaza. The label “Pallywood” is a common trope by Israeli apologists. It implies that Palestinian narratives are false or hyperbolic, underscoring how politicized this discourse is.
Given these challenges, it is critical that we hear from the people living on the ground. Reports from various humanitarian organizations indicate that nowhere in Gaza can currently be considered safe. The end of humanitarian zones and the restriction on media coverage add to these challenges. Consequently, accessing good information is made virtually impossible.