The Hamas PR machine: How "Gaza’s Civil Defense" became a global media mouthpiece

Every time an Israeli airstrike hits Gaza, international media outlets rush to cite “Gaza’s Civil Defense” for casualty figures—often highlighting the deaths of women and children. But rarely, if ever, do these reports mention militants, armed operatives, or Hamas fighters killed. Why?

The answer lies in a crucial and often ignored fact: Gaza’s so-called Civil Defense is run and controlled by Hamas.

Despite this, the group is frequently treated by global media as an impartial humanitarian source, rather than what it is—a central component of Hamas’s propaganda machine.

The Hamas-controlled “Civil Defense” is part of a broader communications apparatus built to influence public opinion worldwide. It is not just responsible for removing rubble or aiding the wounded; it also controls the flow of information, decides which images go viral, and determines what statistics make it to newsrooms in Europe and North America.

This apparatus consistently reports high civilian casualties, emphasizing women and children, while downplaying or omitting the presence of armed groups at targeted sites. It’s a narrative war, and Hamas has long understood that in global conflict, perception can matter as much as reality.

The Shielding Strategy

In Gaza, Hamas embeds rocket launchers, tunnels, and weapons caches in civilian infrastructure—in schools, hospitals, mosques, and residential buildings. It is a deliberate tactic: provoke a response, ensure civilian proximity, and then weaponize the resulting destruction for media consumption.

This tactic makes any military response from Israel look disproportionately brutal, while the reality of Hamas's own cynicism and cruelty is carefully hidden.

The Media’s Complicity (Intentional or Not)

Global media, often under tight deadlines and lacking access to independent sources on the ground, default to using “Gaza health authorities” or “Civil Defense” as if they were neutral bodies. But these are not the equivalents of Red Cross or FEMA. They are instruments of a government ruled by an internationally designated terrorist organization.

It’s the equivalent of asking a partisan to referee his own boxing match—and then taking his word as gospel.

By uncritically amplifying Hamas-supplied information, media outlets unwittingly validate a narrative that obscures the group’s accountability, distorts the nature of the conflict, and fuels antisemitism globally. Moreover, it undermines the genuine suffering of civilians on both sides and sets a dangerous precedent for how propaganda is legitimized.

A truly responsible approach requires transparency about sources, context about who provides the numbers, and a willingness to ask hard questions—even when the answers complicate the narrative.