Independent of social media narrative control, the transformative impact of digital technologies on significant events, such as warfare and politics, is increasingly evident. The Internet continues to rewrite the script of contemporary political conflict.
As the Global Sumudu Flotilla recently sought to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, with a sophisticated social media campaign with updated boat tracking technology and an ingenious interactive website design, the mission gained worldwide attention and support.
Sumudu is the name of a maritime initiative aimed at challenging the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The word ‘Sumud’, Arabic for ‘steadfastness’ or ‘resilience’, is the organising principle and name of the international effort.
During the voyage, the flotilla sent regular updates via social media platforms and held press conferences via Zoom with activists on board. There were live feeds from the vessels, and cameras gave a live view as the Israeli Navy boarded the boats.
The Sumud flotilla was carrying humanitarian aid (including food, medical supplies, and other essential items), along with parliamentarians and activists from dozens of countries.
This campaign was the latest in a movement that has existed for over 15 years to challenge Israel’s long-running blockade of the Gaza Strip. In May 2010, Israel intercepted six vessels that were transporting humanitarian aid to Gaza. The operation resulted in the deaths of nine civilians and left many passengers injured.
Earlier this year, the boat called The Conscience, carrying activists and aid bound for Gaza, was hit by an explosion off the coast of Malta. Israel then intercepted the Madleen in June and the Handala in July.
With credit to social media platforms, the public sphere gains access to information that governments and mainstream media would otherwise filter. Individuals can express opinions, as they can be both information providers and receivers. However, social media reporting has its issues, such as misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
Previous attempts to challenge the blockade illustrate how effectively the Internet can be harnessed to garner public support, mobilising individuals for both political and humanitarian initiatives. Social media has redefined the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Unfiltered real-time streams of images and stories from onboard bring reality into the public eye. It functions as an awareness-raising process designed to inform and educate society, influencing their attitudes and behaviours regarding the suffering of people in Gaza.
It also brings attention to the use of starvation as a weapon of war and genocide as an instrument of domination. It is a deliberate act of terror. According to the Free Gaza Movement, the vessels attempting to cross the Israeli blockade aim to deliver aid to the civilians in Gaza. Israel justifies its actions by invoking its right to enforce the blockade and prevent the flow of ‘contraband’ from reaching the territory.
The situation in the Gaza Strip bears a resemblance to past events. The Stalin regime used man-made famine against Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 for both political and ethnic purposes, employing it as a collective punishment, seizing land, people, and resources to boost industrialisation, and intimidating Ukrainians into submission.
However, this time, the Internet and digital capabilities are the new mechanisms that not only surpass the controlled media narrative but also spread information like fire. Never in the history of humanity have we witnessed a genocide in real time like what we are seeing in Gaza.
Even if the vessels do not (yet) reach the shores of Gaza, a digital movement worldwide refuses to let ‘political forces’ normalise genocide and death by hunger.
Social media is changing the political communication landscape while also creating opportunities for new voices to emerge. Machines and algorithms are driving a political campaign in support of civilians in Gaza, while pro-Palestinian activists refuse to yield to silence, fear, or complicity.
Sonia Ambrosio
The writer is a journalist, academic and researcher in media studies
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