How Israel Repurposed Its Gaza Playbook to Justify Mass Slaughter in Lebanon

byCaptain Frank Sparrow -
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Iara Modarelli
21st Century Wire

In the deadliest assault since 2006, Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon have killed 558 people, including 50 children, and wounded over 1,835, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The same “everyone is a terrorist” media playbook, used for the past 11 months justify genocidal actions in Gaza is now being redeployed to legitimize mass civilian deaths in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration, entrenched in complicity through billions in military aid and political cover, has spared no time in reaffirming their support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”.

Both current and past media narratives, propaganda, and manipulation tactics surrounding the ongoing bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon have been used by Israel to achieve their strategic objectives within the region and legitimize military actions in the region. With the recent assault on Lebanon, we can draw multiple direct comparisons with Gaza and understand how the framing of information influences the justification of violence and the tactics mainstream media uses to shape the global discourse.

Disinformation Campaigns in Gaza vs. Lebanon

On October 27th, Israel launched an aggressive disinformation campaign, claiming Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, acted as “the main headquarters for Hamas’ terrorist activity”. The claim was supported by a CGI animation widely circulated and mainstream media published headlines such as “Hamas leaders again hiding under hospital” and Hamas Leaders Hiding in Basement of Israel-built Hospital in Gaza. With full backing from the White House and the Pentagon, Israel then raided, bombed, and besieged the hospital in violation of international law, resulting in the massacre of doctors and patients, and the abandonment of five premature babies, whose rotting corpses were discovered months later.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) later reported that it found no evidence to substantiate Israel’s claims that Hamas was using Al-Shifa Hospital for military purposes and a detailed investigation of open-source visuals, satellite imagery, and all publicly released IDF materials by the Washington Post concluded that the evidence Israel provided for its assault on the hospital fell short of proving that Hamas conducted any significant military operations within the Al-Shifa Hospital Complex.

On Monday, the IDF published an eerily similar video in which they claim to have evidence of Hezbollah placing cruise missiles in civilian homes in Lebanon. The timing of the release appears to be an attempt to pre-empt criticism of their extensive airstrikes in the region – in both cases, they employ identical propaganda techniques and CGI animations to justify the latest bombing operations across the country.

Booby Traps in Toys and Food: Framing Children as Collateral Damage 

In Lebanon, the Israeli military’s approach during the 2006 war included a justification of child casualties, when Israeli officials stated, “Every child killed is a future terrorist in the making”, framing children as acceptable collateral damage. The 2006 conflict was marked by extensive airstrikes and ground operations, leading to a high number of civilian casualties, including many children. Human Rights Watch and other organizations criticized Israel’s tactics, arguing that targeting civilian areas without clear military objectives constituted violations of international law.

Even more sinister is the accusation that Israel dropped bombs intentionally disguised as toys on southern Lebanon in the 1990’s, which killed and maimed children as a result. A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon officer confirmed this stating: “It can be a toy of have the shape of an ordinary stone.” Another example cited is that of a girl who was horrifically blown up after shouting “I found a doll!” and another nine-year-old girl who was maimed after she picked up a “big apple-green plastic jeep, with six big black wheels”. The toy shredded her hand after blowing up.

This tactic is not new for Israel.As hunger levels in Gaza have driven Palestinians to desperation, Israel has exploited the situation to disguise bombs as tins of food: “One practice involves Israeli soldiers leaving “booby-trapped” tins (resembling food tins) in houses after they withdraw from an area they had taken control of. When civilians [often children[ return home, looking for food, they have mistaken these tins for food left by the soldiers, but upon opening them, they explode”. A Palestinian mother Amna Issa describes the moment when Mahmoud, her 14-year-old son lost three of his fingers and suffered critical injuries after opening a can the Israeli army had “left” behind, thinking it contained tinned meat.

Moreover, Israeli military officers have claimed in the past that “Children raised in environments of violence are likely to become militants.” This statement is used to indiscriminately target children by depicting them as future threats based on their upbringing – a rationale which perpetuates a cycle of violence, where children, often seen as future militants, become victims of military actions and reflect a broader strategy that prioritizes perceived security over children’s lives.

Targeting Medical Facilities and Personnel

Recent footage published by Mintpress shows the Israeli military bombing ambulances in southern Lebanon, a blatant violation of international law. Historically, Israel has justified attacks on ambulances by alleging their use by militants. In 1987, Israeli helicopter gunfire hit two ambulances in Lebanon—one belonging to the Lebanese Red Cross and the other to the Risali Movement—during military operations near Nabatiyeh. The attack resulted in the death of two first-aiders and a patient, while another first-aid worker was injured. Israeli military sources defended the attacks on these ambulances by alleging that militants were exploiting these vehicles to transport arms and operatives and claimed: “The ambulance was used to evacuate the wounded from the area of combat,” implying that this justified the military actions taken against them.

Similarly, Israel has a history of targeting ambulances in Gaza. In November 2023, the Israeli army bombed an ambulance convoy near Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, leading to over 15 deaths and 60 injuries, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Israel justified the attack by claiming the ambulance was associated with Hamas. An official statement from the Israeli military claimed: “We have information which demonstrates that Hamas’ method of operation is to transfer terror operatives and weapons in ambulances.”

A history of genocidal intent in Gaza and Lebanon

Intent is a vital element when assessing the actions of states, especially in the context Israel, Palestine, and now Lebanon. When South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prove that Israel was committing genocide in Palestine, they included a stunning database of over 500 statements of senior political leaders espousing genocidal intent and dehumanizing Palestinians, framing them as an “existential threat”. The remarks, together with their military actions resulting in at least 41,000 deaths shows clear intent to destroy the Palestinian population. Yesterday’s attack in Lebanon is no different, with high-ranking Israeli officials seen openly promoting violence against the Lebanese population.

Below, Israel’s Minister of Education states: “There is no difference between Hezbollah and Lebanon. Lebanon will be annihilated.”

The situation in Lebanon has taken a dangerous turn, with Hezbollah officially declaring war against Israel in response to the ongoing airstrikes and mass civilian casualties earlier today. This declaration marks the beginning of a potentially broader and more devastating conflict, one which could potentially engulf the entire region.

While Israel and its backers continue to deploy the same propaganda tactics that have justified violence in Gaza, the stakes in Lebanon are even higher. Hezbollah’s response shows the world that this war will not be fought in silence, and the region might soon witness a confrontation that could reshape the political landscape of the Middle East.

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* This article was originally published here

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