Understanding psychological warfare as Israel prepares its new Gaza offensive
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City on 19 August 2025
Robert Inlakesh writes in The Palestine Chronicle on 22 August 2025:
As Israel threatens its new offensive aimed at occupying Gaza City, dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots II”, a psychological warfare campaign is taking place against the people of Gaza, one that the corporate media has participated in. This comes despite Israel’s military leadership knowing well that its occupation plans are doomed to fail.
On August 4, Israeli media began leaking reports that its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made the decision to occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip, replacing previous proposals to annex large portions of the territory. This then created headlines and spread fear across Gaza over what Israel has in store next for the brutalised and traumatized population.
Initially, Israeli Channel 12 and 14 had broken the reports citing an anonymous source in the Prime Minister’s office. Notably, when Channel 12 reported on the breaking news scoop live on air, their analyst appeared perplexed by the report. Channel 14 had also stated earlier that day that Israel had reportedly ordered the assassination of Hamas leaders abroad, another strange leak, as this could easily jeopardize operations that rely on the element of surprise.
By the end of the day, the Hebrew media had switched their reports to focus on a proposed occupation of Gaza City, in the north of the besieged territory, and not the entirety of the Strip. The next day, however, on August 5, Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said he sought a “full conquest” of Gaza according to a “senior official” in his office.
First, a mini-cabinet meeting, followed by an 8-hour cabinet meeting, was convened to agree upon and approve the occupation plan for Gaza City specifically. On August 8, the cabinet approved the plan, which was followed by the release of satellite imagery by NBC News that featured a reported military buildup at the ‘Karni Crossing’.
Then came the assassination of Gaza’s most loved and well-known reporter, Anas al-Sharif, a massive blow to the entire population of the besieged coastal enclave on August 10.