The #HRW report concludes that Israeli authorities have committed war crimes by intentionally depriving the civilian population in #Gaza of water, including by destroying and rendering useless objects essential to the survival of the civilian population, and using starvation as a method of warfare.

https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/113678699500161398

Which [online] media is covering this report?

Haaretz [Yes]

Ynet [No] Even though they regularly update on the water situation in Gaza, mostly telling their readers how Israel is busy opening water lines to Gaza, including a report from Oct 2023.

Walla [No]

Israel Hayom [No]

Maariv [No]

Makor Rishon [No]

Didn't check outlets leaning further to the right.

Checked using Google's site specific search and visiting each site's front page on Dec 19 10:40

#IsraelMediaComplicity
#IsraelWarCrimes
#ICC #ICJ #Israel

"When the Media Meets Rape in Wartime: The Story of the Israeli Media About the Sexual Violence on October 7" (Dr. Odelia Dayan-Gabay, 2024)

The study analyzed Israeli media coverage of sexual violence committed on October 7, 2023 and the patriarchal underpinnings in Israeli media coverage. It covered a three-month period, from October 7 to December 31, 2023. This period was chosen because it encompassed the initial and crucial phase of the media's reaction to the events, which shaped public discourse and initial perceptions.

The study focuses on how Israeli media framed the sexual violence and rape committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The study analyzes four leading Israeli online news sites: #Ynet (center-right), Israel Hayom (right, nationalist, pro-Netanyahu), #Haaretz (center-left), and Makor Rishon (right, nationalist). The author does not mention any Israeli war crimes in Gaza or the occupation (despite the withdrawal, the Gaza Strip in 2005, Gaza was considered occupied under international law due to Israel's continued control over its borders, airspace, and maritime access.)

The analysis primarily focuses on the narratives and motifs used by Israeli media to portray the events. The study identifies four main narratives:

Mechanism of denial: Israeli media's reaction to the international community's denial of the sexual violence.

The victims’ voices: How the media presented the voices of the victims, highlighting the tension between silence and outcry, and individual versus collective pain.

Rape as a weapon of war: Framing the sexual violence as part of a broader phenomenon of violence against women, and its use as a weapon of war.

Criticism and blame: Directing blame towards Hamas, the international community, and to a lesser extent, the Israeli government.

The study emphasizes the Israeli media's unified stance in supporting the victims and criticizing the international community's denial of the sexual violence. It does not address the broader political context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or any potential actions taken by Israel during this period. It also avoids discussing government decisions or actions regarding the release of hostages, or any resulting public perception of betrayal.

While the study highlights a shift in Israeli media's approach to covering sexual violence, acknowledging denial tactics and using terminology from the feminist discourse, the analysis also reveals the persistence of patriarchal perceptions within the coverage.

Nationalization of Individual Suffering: The study observes a tendency to frame rape as a weapon of war aimed at harming the nation as a whole. This nationalization of individual suffering transforms personal trauma into a collective, national wound, diminishing the focus on the individual woman's experience. The sources provide examples of rhetoric that compares the penetration of Israel's borders to sexual violation, further illustrating this conflation of individual and national bodies.

Objectification of Women: The analysis points out that the narratives often depict women as objects through which messages are conveyed between groups of men. This objectification reinforces the patriarchal notion of women as possessions or symbols of national honor, rather than individuals with agency and autonomy. The sources provide an example where discussions about the potential sexual violence faced by female captives in Gaza are framed in terms of the concerns of male authorities and the strategic implications for Israel, with the women themselves remaining voiceless.

Association of Female Sexuality with Honor: The language used in the coverage frequently links a woman's sexuality to her honor, employing terms like "defiled" or "the honor of our daughters". This association perpetuates the patriarchal notion that a woman's worth is tied to her sexual purity and reinforces the stigma surrounding sexual violence. The sources note that this language is particularly prevalent in _Makor Rishon_, a publication catering to a religious Zionist audience.

Limited Recognition of Male Victims: The study also observes a significant lack of attention given to male victims of sexual violence. While acknowledging that women are statistically more likely to be victims of sexual violence, the sources argue that the near-exclusion of male victims from the narrative contributes to the underreporting of such cases and reinforces harmful stereotypes about masculinity and victimhood.

The study concludes that despite the apparent adoption of some feminist terminology and a focus on challenging denial mechanisms, the persistence of these patriarchal underpinnings suggests that a genuine shift in understanding and addressing sexual violence within Israeli society may still be in its early stages.

Hebrew https://mediaframes.sapir.ac.il/rape-during-wartime

@palestine
@israel
#IsraelWarCrimes
#IsraelMediaComplicity

As far as I can tell, so far no other Israeli news outlet picked this report. Also the previous one with the guardian about Sde Teiman torture facility was ignored. I checked #Ynet, #Walla and #Maariv.

@palestine
@israel
#IsraelWarCrimes #IsraelMediaComplicity