A Palestinian Hamas terrorist shakes hands with a child as they stand guard as people gather on the day of the handover of Israeli hostages, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Hamas has mastered the art of shaping Western public opinion to carry out its war against Israel.

A prime example is the BBC’s recent documentary from Gaza, narrated by the son of a Hamas commander, which was recently pulled from the BBC’s platforms and has prompted an investigation by UK counterterrorism police amid allegations that the corporation made indirect payments to the proscribed terrorist organization in breach of UK law.

Hamas Lectures on Morality — Seriously?

Last week brought yet another example of Hamas’ PR campaign strategy. Major news outlets — including NPR, BBC, and The Guardian — uncritically quoted Hamas press releases regarding the halt of humanitarian aid. They presented these statements as if they came from a legitimate government genuinely concerned for civilian lives, rather than from a genocidal terrorist group that has used civilians as human shields for years.

Consider Hamas’ statement by Osama Hamdan, Hamas’s senior official:

Netanyahu’s decision to stop humanitarian aid is cheap blackmail, a war crime, and a blatant coup against the agreement. The mediators and the international community must move to pressure the occupation and stop its punitive and immoral measures against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.

Then there’s The Guardian, amplifying Hamas’ call for the world to pressure Israel to open the crossings for “life-saving humanitarian aid.”

The headlines from the Reuters World News daily podcast:

– Israel blocks aid into Gaza as ceasefire standoff escalates
– Andrew Cuomo running for New York City mayor after resigning governor post https://t.co/O5qwn6uX3N pic.twitter.com/KMhN00xB4p

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 3, 2025

Pause for a moment.

Hamas — an organization that has kept hostages in inhumane conditions for over 500 days — is accusing Israel of “cheap blackmail.” Hamas, responsible for torturing and executing both Israelis and Palestinians, and whose October 7 atrocities have been described as worse than the Nazis’, now claims Israel is engaging in “immoral measures.”

Hamas — a designated terrorist organization by the US, EU, and numerous other nations — is calling on the “international community” to intervene on its behalf.

Still unsure about Hamas’ broader goals? Here’s a passage straight from ISIS’s Dabiq magazine, which clarifies the ideology shared by Islamist groups:

Just as your disbelief is the primary reason we hate you, your disbelief is the primary reason we fight you… We have been commanded to fight the disbelievers until they submit to the authority of Islam, either by becoming Muslims or by paying jizyah—and living in humiliation under the rule of the Muslims.

Famine with the Feasts?

Hamas’ latest attempt to manipulate global sympathy has emerged amidst the announcement by Israel to suspend humanitarian aid to Gaza until all the hostages are released. The storyline in most media reports is predictable: Gaza is on the brink of famine, and if Israel halts aid, starvation will be imminent.

What’s missing from the coverage?

The fact is claims of mass starvation — debunked by researchers — predated Israel’s decision to condition aid on hostage releases. Also missing is the fact that Israeli officials report that recent humanitarian aid deliveries have been enough to sustain Gaza’s population for months.

Journalists are, of course, free to question Israeli sources. But ignoring this information entirely? That’s not journalism.

Meanwhile, images from recent Ramadan celebrations in Gaza stand in stark contrast to media claims of imminent famine.

Photographs of long tables laden with food — including fresh vegetables — circulated widely, even as reports framed Gaza as teetering on the edge of starvation. Somehow, on the same day, media outlets managed to push two contradictory yet equally pro-Hamas narratives: that famine is looming due to Israeli aid restrictions, and that Gazans are gathering for Ramadan feasts despite the destruction around them.

Despite the headlines, there was never actually a famine in Gaza. Aid is stockpiled, markets are full, and bakeries are open. The real crisis? Hamas steals, controls, and profits from the aid.

Don’t fall for the media’s narrative—see the proof for yourself. pic.twitter.com/j3dgy3xYAg

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) March 4, 2025

Many outlets quoted Fatima Barbakh, a woman from Khan Younis, lamenting that she could only afford the essentials this year and couldn’t buy Ramadan decorations.

The New York Times similarly reported from Gaza: “Many goods—like frozen chicken and cooking gas—are now in shops and street markets, although others, like chocolate, are still scarce.”

While these accounts naturally evoke sympathy for those enduring war, they hardly depict a population on the brink of starvation.

Price Spikes — What Would a Responsible Government Do?

It’s true that following Israel’s announcement, food prices in Gaza have surged. The real question is: what would a responsible government do in such a crisis?

A government that genuinely prioritizes its people’s well-being might do any of the following:

• Secure aid by releasing hostages.
• Stockpile food.
• Regulate prices to prevent exploitation.

Hamas has done none of these. Instead, reports indicate its operatives loot aid shipments and use Gazans’ suffering as leverage for international concessions.

Geneva Conventions and the Reality in Gaza

The Fourth Geneva Convention (Article 55) requires an occupying power to ensure basic provisions for civilians. But Gaza is not a conventional war zone, and the Geneva Conventions were not written with groups like Hamas in mind.

Historically, civilian and military populations were distinct. That distinction collapses in Gaza, where Hamas deliberately blurs the lines. Civilians do not hide hostages. Civilians do not take selfies with the bodies of murdered men, women, and children. Civilians do not cheer as terrorists parade kidnapped children through the streets.

Even the Nazis wore uniforms. Hamas embeds itself within civilian areas precisely to make these distinctions impossible.

Are there Gazans who don’t support Hamas? Certainly. But all available data suggests they are the minority. The prevailing reality is that civilians are indistinguishable from those who celebrate terror, carry weapons, and shelter hostages in their homes. And the media’s willful blindness to this fact isn’t journalism — it’s complicity.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.