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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war | Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war |
| (7 days later) | |
| Israel's attack on Gaza opened a new chapter in the use of social media in warfare, as both the Israeli Defence Forces and Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, kept up duelling live Twitter feeds, each giving their side of the conflict. | Israel's attack on Gaza opened a new chapter in the use of social media in warfare, as both the Israeli Defence Forces and Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, kept up duelling live Twitter feeds, each giving their side of the conflict. |
| The fact that both Twitter accounts, @IDFSpokesperson and @AlqassamBrigades, launched the live commentaries in English minutes after the drone assassination of the Hamas military commander, Ahmed al-Jabari, underlined the central importance to each side of coralling world opinion in the conflict. | The fact that both Twitter accounts, @IDFSpokesperson and @AlqassamBrigades, launched the live commentaries in English minutes after the drone assassination of the Hamas military commander, Ahmed al-Jabari, underlined the central importance to each side of coralling world opinion in the conflict. |
| The IDF tweeted the launch of the operation, shortly after announcing the end of the Austere Challenge 12 joint military exercises with US European Command with the words: "All good things must come to an end." The IDF then tweeted: "The IDF has begun a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #Gaza Strip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets." | The IDF tweeted the launch of the operation, shortly after announcing the end of the Austere Challenge 12 joint military exercises with US European Command with the words: "All good things must come to an end." The IDF then tweeted: "The IDF has begun a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #Gaza Strip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets." |
| Soon after it added: "The first target, hit minutes ago, was Ahmed Al-Jabari, head of the #Hamas military wing." | Soon after it added: "The first target, hit minutes ago, was Ahmed Al-Jabari, head of the #Hamas military wing." |
| Within moments, @AlqassamBrigade confirmed Jabari's death, saying he had been "assassinated by #Israeli drones in #Gaza", and in the next tweet declared: "Occupation opened hell gates on itself." Three hours later it said that al-Qassam had shelled an Israeli mlitary base in Beer Sheva "with dozens of mortars" in response to the Jabari killing. | Within moments, @AlqassamBrigade confirmed Jabari's death, saying he had been "assassinated by #Israeli drones in #Gaza", and in the next tweet declared: "Occupation opened hell gates on itself." Three hours later it said that al-Qassam had shelled an Israeli mlitary base in Beer Sheva "with dozens of mortars" in response to the Jabari killing. |
| Each side in the Twitter duel that unfolded over the following day sought to outdo the other in attempting to draw a mass audience, occasionally taunting each other directly. @IDFSpokesperson linked to an aerial video of Jabari's car detonated by the missile – footage which was then taken down by YouTube on the grounds that it "violated the terms of service" – and then a red wanted poster of his alleged actions stamped in block letters with the word "Eliminated". It tweeted: "We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead." | Each side in the Twitter duel that unfolded over the following day sought to outdo the other in attempting to draw a mass audience, occasionally taunting each other directly. @IDFSpokesperson linked to an aerial video of Jabari's car detonated by the missile – footage which was then taken down by YouTube on the grounds that it "violated the terms of service" – and then a red wanted poster of his alleged actions stamped in block letters with the word "Eliminated". It tweeted: "We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead." |
| @AlqassamBrigade replied rapidly: "Our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are (You Opened Hell Gates on Yourselves)." | @AlqassamBrigade replied rapidly: "Our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are (You Opened Hell Gates on Yourselves)." |
| The IDF also attracted criticism for the jokey tone of updates by some of its members on Twitter. One soldier, tweeting under the handle @MajPeterLerner, picked up on a popular hashtag among supporters of Israel, tweeting: "#HamasBumperStickers My car is a stairway to heaven, with a little help from #Israel #IsraelUnderFire". Another, called @CaptainBarakRaz, wrote: "#HamasBumperStickers boom!" | The IDF also attracted criticism for the jokey tone of updates by some of its members on Twitter. One soldier, tweeting under the handle @MajPeterLerner, picked up on a popular hashtag among supporters of Israel, tweeting: "#HamasBumperStickers My car is a stairway to heaven, with a little help from #Israel #IsraelUnderFire". Another, called @CaptainBarakRaz, wrote: "#HamasBumperStickers boom!" |
| Al-Qassam kept up a parallel feed in Arabic while the IDF Twitter feed runs a French version, @Tsahal-IDF, as well as a Spanish and French version of its Facebook page. | Al-Qassam kept up a parallel feed in Arabic while the IDF Twitter feed runs a French version, @Tsahal-IDF, as well as a Spanish and French version of its Facebook page. |
| The Nato-run International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan and Taliban both have a recent history of exchanging taunts on Twitter, but this is the first time the medium was used to give live commentary on an ongoing conflict. | The Nato-run International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan and Taliban both have a recent history of exchanging taunts on Twitter, but this is the first time the medium was used to give live commentary on an ongoing conflict. |
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