The Information Battlefront – Hamas Websites And Social Media Presence

Introduction

Along with its military conflict with Israel on the ground, Hamas is investing massive efforts in its information war against Israel online. The organization operates a wide array of websites and social media accounts, for public relations and for its propaganda and psychological warfare.

Hamas' online apparatus conveys its messages to diverse audiences in many languages; it has numerous official websites and official social media accounts, and there are also unofficial or semi-official websites and social media accounts that are affiliated with it. The official websites supply regularly updated content, including official statements by Hamas leaders and articles by its members and supporters who express the organization's positions and policies, along with a steady stream of updates about the situation in the Gaza Strip. They also deal extensively with Hamas' conflict with Israel and with its rivalry with regional opponents such as Egypt and the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas websites address different types of audiences: Sites in Arabic deliver information and instructions to the local Gaza population,[1] to supporters in the West Bank and Israel, and to supporters in the wider Arab and Muslim world. Some sites even have multiple pages in Western languages such as English, French, and Russian, to bring Hamas' message to sympathizers in the Western world; sites in Turkish, Farsi, Indonesian and Urdu are aimed at the public in Muslim countries.

It should be noted that each of Hamas' various online outlets are tailored to a specific audience. While its Arabic-language websites and social media outlets focus on glorifying the jihad against Israel, and praising its fighters' martyrdom and even the martyrdom of its civilians, the websites in Western languages emphasize Israel's aggression and the deaths of innocent civilians.

In the spectrum of Hamas's online mouthpieces, the websites of its military wing, the 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, stand out. The Brigades use these to publish official statements; reports on its activities; statistics on the numbers of rockets it fired, including graphics; and so on. It also posts videos of attacks that it carried out against the Israeli military and photos glorifying its actions. The Brigades also maintain a website in Hebrew for psychological warfare against the Israeli public.

Also notable are the Twitter accounts used by Hamas leaders, by which they convey their messages to tens of thousands of followers.

The following is a list of Hamas websites and social media outlets:

Websites Of Hamas' Military Wing – The 'Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades

Arabic: Alqassam.ps

English: Qassam.ps/

Turkish: Qassam.ps/tur/

Hebrew: Alqassam.ps/hebrew/

Twitter: @qassam_arabic1

Twitter: Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu 'Ubaida: @Spokespers

Official Hamas Website

Arabic: Hamasinfo.net/ar

Twitter: @hamasinfo

 

Hamas Leadership

Head of Hamas political bureau, Khaled Mash’al @Khalid_Meshaal

Prime Minister of Hamas government, Isma’il Haniyeh @IsmailHaniyyeh

Deputy head of Hamas political bureau, Musa Abu Marzuq @mosa_abumarzook

Hamas politburo member, ‘Izzat Al-Rishq @izzat_risheq

Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri – Facebook.com/SamiAbuZuhri

Hamas Information Website – Palestinian Information Center
Arabic

Website: Palinfo.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/palinfo

Twitter: @PalinfoAr

YouTube Channel: Youtube.com/user/palinfocenter

English

Website: Palestine-info.co.uk/en/

Facebook in English: Facebook.com/PalinfoEN

French

Website: Palestine-info.cc/fr/

Facebook in French: Facebook.com/palinfofr

Turkish

Website: Filistinhaber.com/tr/

Farsi

Website Palestine-persian.info/fa

Urdu

Website: Palestine-info-urdu.com/ur/

Urdu Twitter: @PalinfoUr

 

Indonesian

Website: Infopalestina.com/ms/

Russian

Website: Palestine-info.ru/ru

Twitter in Russian: @PalRus_Ad

Hamas Interior Ministry

Arabic

Website: Moi.gov.ps/

Facebook: Facebook.com/moigovps

App for Android: Play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ps.moi.gov.media

English

Website: Moi.gov.ps/En/

Hamas Forum – Palestine Dialogue Network

Website: Paldf.net

Facebook: Facebook.com/paldf

Twitter: @paldf

Hamas TV – Al-Aqsa

Twitter: @Aqsalive

Hamas Radio – Voice of Al-Aqsa

Website: Alaqsavoice.ps/arabic/

Facebook: Facebook.com/Aqsa.Voice

Twitter @Alaqsavoice

Voice of Al-Aqsa – breaking news @Alaqsavoice_Brk

Hamas Daily Newspaper – Felesteen

Website: Felesteen.ps

Facebook in English: Facebook.com/feelsteen

Twitter in English: @felesteenonline

YouTube channel: Youtube.com/user/felesteenps

Hamas Magazine – Al-Resalah

Website: Alresalah.ps/ar/

Facebook: Facebook.com/alresalahps

Hamas Monthly Magazine – Huna Falastin

Website: Paldfmedia.paldf.net/palestine_here/

Hamas Magazine for Children - Al-Fateh

Website: Al-fateh.net

Official News Agency of Palestinian Authority in Gaza (Run by Hamas) – Al-Ray

Website: Alray.ps/ar/

Facebook: Facebook.com/alrayps

Twitter: @Alrayps

Hamas-Identified News Agency – Safa

Website: Safa.ps

Facebook: Facebook.com/safaps

Twitter: @safaps

YouTube channel: Youtube.com/user/safappa

Pro-Hamas News Site – Falastin Al-‘An

Arabic website: Paltimes.net

Facebook: Facebook.com/paltimes.net

Twitter: @paltimesnet1

YouTube channel: Youtube.com/user/paltimesnet

Pro-Hamas News Site – Ajnad News

Website: Ajnad-news.com/site/ajnad/

Twitter: @Ajadnews

Facebook: Facebook.com/Ajnaad

Pro-Hamas News Site – Seraj Media

website: Seraj.ps/

Facebook: Facebook.com/seraj.gaza

Hamas in the West Bank – Amamah

Website: Omamh.com/site/pages

Facebook: Facebook.com/OmamhPalestine

Twitter: @Omamahwest

Hamas Student Wing – Kotla

Arabic

Website: Kotla.ps/

Google Plus: Plus.google.com/106864621623586293351/posts

Facebook: Facebook.com/kotla.f.students

Hamas Division of Refugee Affairs

Website: Drah.ps/ar/

Facebook: Facebook.com/weshouldreturn

Twitter: @sna3od

YouTube channel: Youtube.com/user/weshouldreturn

English

Website: Drah.ps/en/

Hamas Site for Women – Women For Palestine

Arabic

Website: Womenfpal.com/site/page/default.aspx

Facebook: Facebook.com/womenf

Twitter: @Palwomen3

YouTube channel: Youtube.com/user/womenfpal

Facebook in French: Facebook.com/FemmesPourLaPalestine

Facebook in Turkish: Facebook.com/pages/Filistin-Yolunda-Kad%C4%B1nlar/1393300880940513

Facebook in English: Facebook.com/WomenForPalestine

Ahrar Wledna – Hamas Prisoners' Leadership

Arabic

Website: Ahrarwledna.com/

Facebook: Facebook.com/ahrarwlednanews/info

Twitter: @ahrarwledna

English website: Ahrarwledna.com/en/

*R. Green is a Research Fellow at MEMRI; Y. Yehoshua is Vice President for Research and Director of MEMRI Israel.

 

Endnote: