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As Israel has continued<\/a> its bombardment of the Gaza Strip<\/a>, its restrictions on journalists<\/a>‘ access to the region have drawn scrutiny. New data released Thursday suggests Israel’s tactics are fueling an “information war” with perverse incentives for hate-mongers and conspiracy theorists.<\/p>\n The Committee to Protect Journalists’ preliminary estimate counts 95 journalists<\/a> and media workers who have been killed in Gaza since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and the vast majority of those journalists are Palestinian. At the same time, Israel’s decision to prevent international journalists from entering has enraged activists and the Foreign Press Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Israeli Supreme Court in January upheld a ban on journalists entering Gaza<\/a> that was imposed after the Hamas attack, the Times of Israel reported; the few foreign journalists allowed in have been under military escort and subject to censorship. And earlier this month, the Knesset passed a law that gave the government the ability to close foreign-owned media outlets<\/a> like the Qatar-based Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s choice raises \u201cquestions about what Israel does not want international journalists to see,\u201d the Foreign Press Association said in a press release Monday.<\/p>\n That same day, United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres<\/a> said Israel\u2019s refusal to allow international journalists into Gaza has created an \u201cinformation war\u201d that\u2019s added trauma to the already harrowing situation in the region. \u201cDenying international journalists entry in to Gaza is allowing disinformation and false narratives to flourish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The White House co-signed that sentiment Thursday:<\/p>\n “We’ve made clear to the government of Israel they should let more journalists in” to Gaza, says @StateDeptSpox<\/a> Matt Miller, saying it would be a benefit to see what’s going on inside.<\/p>\n \u2014 Alex Marquardt (@MarquardtA) April 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Israel\u2019s war with Hamas \u2014 which was launched after the Oct. 7 terror attack but which has evolved into a full-scale obliteration of Gaza \u2014 has also become a vacuum into which conspiracy theorists and propagandists<\/a> can pump disinformation and hate. It\u2019s a point I discussed with Joy Reid and my colleague Brandy Zadrozny<\/a> on “The ReidOut” last fall.<\/p>\n And new data released Thursday by the watchdog Center for Countering Digital Hate shows how profiteers have made bank spreading dubious and bigoted claims about the ongoing conflict. The report is “Hate Pays: How X accounts are exploiting the Israel-Gaza conflict to grow and profit,” and you can check it out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAccounts posting anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim content about the Israel-Gaza conflict are accumulating new followers on X at a significantly higher rate since October 7,\u201d said the center’s press release, \u201cexploiting policy changes enacted under Elon Musk\u2019s ownership of the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n The report highlights the crisis that is flourishing because of Israel\u2019s refusal to allow journalists into Gaza. In lieu of reporters who can provide accurate details about what’s happening in the region, people are turning to unreliable sources who use that opportunity to foment hate and sow division.<\/p>\n This article was originally published on MSNBC.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n