Survival first, truth second: Why Gazan journalists lie, and the Palestinian Authority benefits
One of the shocking phenomena of the Israel-Hamas War is that all of the journalists are reporting the same Hamas lies and propaganda so that there's only one story coming out of Gaza.
The foreign media is uniformly blaming Israel for the so-called starvation in Gaza and following Hamas's propaganda strategy, often broadcasting completely fictitious images. The impact on Israel's image in the world has been terrible, with polls showing that even American support for Israel is eroding.
A common explanation is that most reporters working for the international media in Gaza are themselves Palestinians and thus are anxious to present Israel negatively.
Hamas threatens journalists
While that certainly is true, another important reason was spelled out by none other than Nasser Abu Bakr, chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. Speaking on official PA TV, Abu Bakr revealed:
"There are indeed attacks against journalists. We are monitoring and recording daily attacks by Hamas and the ‘Arrow Battalion.' It is a known group that belongs to Hamas that attacks journalists, arrests journalists, [even] in hospitals and institutions."
This explains why not only the official Palestinian media, which Palestinian Media Watch has shown to be a source of anti-Israel incitement for decades, but also the foreign media, which claim respectability, are megaphones for Hamas's lies. The journalists hired by these media outlets are Gazans, and their identities are known to Hamas. Out of concern for their future, their safety, and their lives, they must publish Hamas propaganda.
National interest over truth
Significantly, after criticizing Hamas's tactics, Abu Bakr added why the story is not well known: "I don't want to specify details. Out of our concern for the Palestinian national situation, we don't talk much about it."
In other words, after exposing that Hamas routinely attacks journalists, he quickly added that, out of Palestinian national interest, the PA keeps this quiet. Demonizing Israel before the world serves Palestinian interests, especially the PA's position. By keeping silent about all journalists being a captive propaganda arm of Hamas, the PA benefits. Hamas creates the message; the PA reaps the diplomatic reward.