Days Of Palestine

Photos|| A large Israeli occupation forces unit storms the outskirts of the village of Qaryout in the occupied West Bank.

In an attempt to alter the long-standing status quo, Israeli Knesset member Amit Halevi and other far-right figures are leading initiatives to increase Israeli presence and actions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on "Jerusalem Day" (May 15).

Heart Patients in Gaza Face Slow Death Amid Israeli Siege https://daysofpalestine.ps/heart-patients-in-gaza-face-slow-death-amid-israeli-siege/

More than 300 Christian leaders and clergy members representing dozens of churches and Christian institutions from across the United States gathered in Washington, D.C. to call for the restoration of humanitarian and healthcare funding for Palestinians, particularly in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as well as an end to U.S. military support for Israel.

Heart Patients in Gaza Face Slow Death Amid Israeli Siege https://daysofpalestine.ps/heart-patients-in-gaza-face-slow-death-amid-israeli-siege/

The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, said that Israel has displaced approximately 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2025.

Watch|| Israeli settlers set a vehicle on fire at the Karmelo junction, east of Ramallah.

Scenes from the Israeli occupation forces’ raid on the town of Bidya, west of Salfit.

Breaking|| Israeli occupation forces raid the Jabal Abu Dhahir area in the city of Jenin, occupied West Bank.

Video footage captures the moment an Israeli strike hit a house in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City.

Update|| The toll has risen to 6 Palestinians injured following the Israeli bombing of a house in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City.

Update|| 4 injures have been recorded following the recent Israeli bombing of a house in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City.

UN: 2.1 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip remain trapped in less than half of the territory. - Malnutrition levels are rising in Gaza, according to the World Food Programme. - Israeli restrictions on the entry of essential supplies and the operations of humanitarian partners are hindering the resumption of local services in the Strip. - The UN warns of a continuing severe shortage of clean drinking water, food, cooking gas, and other basic necessities in the Strip. - The Gaza Strip is experiencing a critical shortage of medicines, depriving large numbers of patients, especially children, of necessary treatment.

“All the money in the world won’t help if the policy is wrong,” says Nicholas Cole, a communications professor at the University of Southern California, citing the United States’ experience in the Vietnam War. This assessment aligns with the conclusions of public diplomacy literature, as Telhami points out that the fundamental problem lies in the policies themselves, not in how they are marketed. He adds that media campaigns may have a limited impact, but they do not change deep-seated attitudes rooted in the realities on the ground. While Israel is banking on expanding its “hasbara” system to escape its crisis, observers believe that the gap between rhetoric and reality is widening, making it difficult for any propaganda campaign, no matter how costly, to reshape an image damaged by ongoing policies on the ground.

This escalation in propaganda spending comes at a time when “Israel” is experiencing a significant decline in its image, particularly within the United States. A Pew Research Center poll revealed that 60% of Americans hold a negative view of Israel, compared to only 37% who support it. This shift was also reflected within Congress, where a large number of Democratic members voted against arms deals with Israel, a precedent reflecting a change in the political climate. Shibley Telhami, a professor of politics at the University of Maryland, believes that what is happening represents an “unprecedented” transformation, driven by the emergence of what he calls the “Gaza generation”—a generation of young Americans who now view the occupation policies as grave violations, with some even describing them as genocide. Despite this massive investment, experts doubt the effectiveness of this “hasbara” in changing deeply entrenched perceptions.

These allocations go beyond traditional media campaigns, as they include the establishment of a central public diplomacy unit within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in addition to operating a "media operations room" that monitors hundreds of media outlets and thousands of articles related to "Israel" daily. Tel Aviv has also allocated approximately $50 million to digital advertising on platforms such as Google, YouTube, and X, in addition to $40 million to host hundreds of foreign delegations of politicians, academics, and religious figures, as part of building influence networks that support the Israeli narrative. These efforts have extended to contracting with Brad Parscale, a former advisor to Donald Trump's campaign, for $1.5 million per month to use artificial intelligence tools to combat what it calls "anti-Semitism," as well as funding influencer networks and campaigns targeting specific sectors, including evangelical churches.

Israeli reports have revealed that the Israeli government has allocated an unprecedented budget of approximately $730 million for 2026 to what is known as "public diplomacy" or the "hasbara" system, in an attempt to restore its tarnished international image, especially after the war on the Gaza Strip. This comes amidst growing skepticism about the ability of these efforts to achieve a genuine breakthrough in public opinion. According to the Times of Israel, the Knesset approved this massive budget last March, which is about five times the previous year's allocation ($150 million), and significantly less three years ago. This reflects the shift of the "narrative front" to a central priority in the occupation's strategy. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that his country is waging a "global war for hearts and minds," indicating an increased reliance on propaganda and influence tools, in parallel with the ongoing military operations.

Breaking|| Local resources have reported that a Palestinian child has been injured by shrapnel following the Israeli missiles on a residential house in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City.

Breaking|| An Israeli strike has targeted a house in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City.

Watch|| Israeli occupation forces raid Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.