As the conflict between Israel and Hamas extends into its second week, it has become quite clear that the renewed hostilities are markedly different that that ones that came before. Unlike previous engagements, this war has been characterized by the innovative use of new technologies — including rockets that target rockets, unmanned drones, and even social media. Given these early precedents, it’s fair to say that the means of war have changed yet again — but in a way that’s certainly not for the better.
IEET Blog
Note: As of this writing, a ceasefire has been declared between Israel and Gaza, one that took effect today at 19:00 GMT.
#ThisMeansWar
In conjunction with the escalating number of rocket attacks coming from within Gaza, the first significant act of aggression came from Israel when it assassinated Hamas military head Ahmed Said Khalil al-Jabari on November 14. On that same day, Avital Leibovich, the international press spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) sent out the following tweet:
This message — and the medium — made it crystal clear that Israel wasn't going to go about its business in the usual way, this time using Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube to both get the word out and to intimidate its opponents. The IDF's Twitter account later announced that it had initiated a military operation on terror sites and leaders in the Gaza Strip, and that:
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