The Israel-Palestine conflict was a hotbed for conspiracies and false information even before the current flashpoint. While researchers so far have found minimal evidence of disinformation of foreign origin, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip has nonetheless observed a surge in misinformation. This reveals the significance and salience of the digital battlefield in modern day warfare and combat, engaging the participation of citizens beyond the Middle East in a battle of discourse and ideology.
Amid this fragmented information sphere, the manufacture of and engagement with pro-Israel content among Indian nationals, more significantly among right-wing Hindu nationalists, have not escaped popular attention.
A reputable Indian fact-checking service, found several verified Indian X users at the front and center of a “disinformation campaign” that targets Palestine with negative news while supporting Israel. In one instance, a video purporting to show young girls taken by a Palestinian fighter as sex slaves was circulated on X. This video had no context and was likely from a school trip to Jerusalem, but this was shared widely by Indian accounts.
Fact-checker Pratik Sinha has referred to India as the “disinformation capital of the world” due to the rise of right-wing nationalism in the country. There have been attempts to attribute the spread of false information in India on the Israel-Gaza conflict to the BJP’s IT Cell, a department within the ruling party that handles its social media accounts and campaigns. However, beyond the element of state-sponsorship in the spread of mis- and disinformation, this episode reveals wider trends surrounding fake news and grassroots engagement in the production, dissemination, and export of misinformation in India.
