Why We Wrote Media Under Siege: How Hamas Manipulates Western Reporting
At WBII, we believe that truth is the foundation of any meaningful public debate. Yet, since October 7th, we have witnessed something deeply troubling: Western media outlets repeatedly reproducing narratives shaped not by free reporting, but by Hamas’s iron grip on information in Gaza.
This report, Media Under Siege, was born out of that concern. It is our response to a crisis of journalism — one where omission, censorship, and staged imagery are too often mistaken for truth. Hamas knows that in an age of instant headlines and viral images, perception can be more powerful than reality. By intimidating journalists, curating what can and cannot be filmed, and punishing those who step out of line, it has managed to export its version of events directly into our newspapers and broadcasts.
We were motivated by a simple but urgent principle: if the conditions under which journalism is produced are hidden, then the public cannot trust what it reads or sees. The result is not honest reporting, but propaganda — and when repeated by Western outlets, it shapes policy, fuels hostility, and undermines democratic societies’ ability to respond to terrorism with clarity.
The concept behind this report is to shine a light on this manipulation. We document how Hamas controls reporting, highlight case studies where the truth was distorted, and call for greater transparency in how media organisations describe the constraints under which their journalists operate.
This is not about silencing criticism of Israel. It is about demanding honesty in how news is gathered, and exposing the hidden hand that too often scripts what the world is told.
With this report, we want to open a conversation about accountability — not only for those who wage war with rockets, but also for those who wage war with words.
We are grateful to our partners, The Shield of David and Friends of Israel Glasgow, for their support in helping us bring this important work forward.
