One year has passed since the October 7, 2023, and the tragic toll of disinformation and war crimes continues to unfold across the region. What began as a surge of violence in Palestine has now expanded to Lebanon and Syria, where civilians have become the primary targets of unprecedented Israeli strikes.
In the aftermath of October 2023, disinformation campaigns were heavily employed to justify military aggression and the killing of over 50,000 civilians in the region. Early reports claimed brutal atrocities, such as rape and beheadings, allegedly committed by Palestinian fighters—stories that have since been proven false by researchers and investigators. These fabrications were used to inflame tensions and justify large-scale violence against civilians, tarnishing the truth in favor of political manipulation.
Civilian Casualties and the Manipulation of International Law
One of the most dangerous pieces of disinformation is the false claim that Israel has the right to target civilians under the pretext of eliminating Palestinian fighters. According to international humanitarian law, as upheld by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), persons in armed conflict must always be presumed civilians unless proven otherwise. Civilian objects, such as homes, schools, and places of worship, are protected from attack under the same presumption. Additionally, anyone accused of crimes during conflict is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, not on the battlefield.
Yet, this fundamental principle has been repeatedly ignored, with Israeli forces launching devastating strikes on civilian populations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria under the guise of self-defense. These attacks have resulted in widespread devastation, further eroding the moral and legal boundaries of warfare.
Palestinian Resistance: A Right, Not Terrorism
Another key aspect of the disinformation campaign is the attempt to label the Palestinian resistance as terrorism. However, customary international law clearly recognizes the right of occupied nations to resist foreign powers and claim their right to self-determination. The United Nations General Assembly Declaration on Friendly Relations (Res. 2625 of 1970) reaffirms this right, emphasizing that no state has the authority to deprive people of their freedom, independence, and self-determination through force.
While this right to resistance must comply with the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL), the blanket labeling of Palestinian resistance as terrorism is an intentional distortion meant to delegitimize their struggle and justify Israel’s continued occupation and military actions.
Israel’s Claim of Self-Defense: A Misleading Narrative
Another false claim perpetuated to justify the killing of civilians is that Israel has a right to self-defense against Palestinians under international law. However, Israel, as the occupying power, does not have such a right against the very people it occupies. This argument was definitively rejected by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its 2004 advisory opinion on the construction of the separation wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The ICJ concluded that Israel cannot invoke self-defense to justify its actions in Palestine, as it is engaged in an occupation, not a legitimate defense against external threats.
Expanding War Crimes: Attacks on Lebanon and Syria
The escalation of violence is no longer confined to Palestine. In recent months, Israeli strikes have increasingly targeted civilians in Lebanon and Syria, expanding the scope of these war crimes across the region. Civilian infrastructure, homes, and lives are being destroyed in an unprecedented campaign of violence, with little accountability from the international community.
The attacks on innocent civilians represent not only a violation of international law but also a moral atrocity. The expansion of this conflict to neighboring countries marks a dangerous turning point in the history of the region, where mass civilian casualties are normalized under false narratives of self-defense and counter-terrorism.
The Global Complicity in War Crimes
Israel’s actions in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are unprecedented in the history of modern warfare, and those who support or enable these crimes are complicit in their continuation. As disinformation fuels violence and misleads the global community, it is imperative that the truth be exposed and upheld.
The international community must demand accountability for the war crimes committed and stand up against the ongoing disinformation campaign that seeks to justify the killing of civilians. Silence and inaction will only allow these atrocities to continue, further eroding the principles of human rights and justice that are meant to protect all people in times of conflict.
