‘The narrative was written before it rained’: How Hamas shaped coverage of Gaza floods - exclusive
An HonestReporting investigation traces how Hamas-issued Gaza flooding figures spread through international media, raising questions about sourcing, verification, and Israel's winter aid efforts.
The flooding in Gaza was preceded by a carefully crafted narrative and scale of suffering, according to Justin Pozmanter, News Director at HonestReporting. The Hamas-government body, Gaza Winter Emergency Committee, issued its first press statement on November 1, 2026, through their Telegram channel. This statement introduced the 2026-2027 Winter Preparedness and Response Plan and the "Together Towards a Safe Winter" national campaign. The release predicted a harsh early winter and blamed Israeli restrictions on various resources.
Within days, various international media outlets picked up on the Hamas predictions, without fact-checking their sources. For example, the Euro-Med Monitor published an article claiming that Israel was weaponizing cold weather against Palestinians in Gaza for the fourth year in a row, using the same figures as the Hamas memo. The Hamas-run Government Media Office further exacerbated the situation, warning on November 7 that 70,000 tents had flooded and $3 million in losses occurred within 12 hours.
In the aftermath, news outlets such as Reuters, the BBC, and NBC News reported on the 70,000 tents figure, attributing it to Hamas-run organizations, without questioning the sudden precision of the estimate. This narrative was further amplified by anti-Israel social media accounts and even by public figures like Greta Thunberg. Despite the extensive preparations by Israel to ready the Strip for bad weather, these efforts were largely overlooked in the coverage.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.