‘Israel’ Continues Dropping Leaflets Over Gaza: What’s the Point?

In the first week of July 2024, “Israel” dropped leaflets over Gaza City, urging residents to evacuate the area due to the advancing Israeli army and to move to the “humanitarian area” south in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

While the residents did not heed the leaflets, the Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip stated that the Israeli army’s calls for citizens to move south were merely "psychological pressure and intimidation," and that there was no safe place in the Strip.

This was confirmed later when, just four days after, the Israeli army bombarded the safe area of al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, resulting in hundreds of casualties. The army then withdrew from Gaza City.

In mid-February 2024, a Quadcopter sent by the Israeli army flew over the Nuseirat Secondary School in central Gaza, which had become a shelter for thousands of displaced people.

The drone dropped leaflets featuring photos and names of resistance figures, calling for anyone with information about them to come forward via various apps in exchange for substantial rewards.

As soon as the drone left, the youths and children at the school immediately began gathering and burning the leaflets. This practice is common in Palestinian communities to thwart Israeli propaganda efforts.

The Israeli forces have used leaflets since its first war on Gaza in 2008, but their use increased notably during the ongoing war that began on October 7, 2023.

Typically, leaflets are dropped from military aircraft, but in the current assault, drones, known as quadcopters, are also being used to drop leaflets in specific areas.

Displacement Directions

Since the start of the assault, Israeli aircraft have dropped leaflets urging residents of the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City to move south towards the Wadi Gaza area in the central part of the strip.

Most residents ignored these directives from the Israeli Occupation forces, which led to large-scale massacres, including the destruction of entire residential blocks, attacks on schools and hospitals frequented by the displaced within Gaza City, and atrocities committed against those seeking refuge, such as executions, torture, and rape.

The aim of these crimes was to enforce compliance with the Israeli Occupation forces' instructions. Despite this, approximately 800,000 people in the north have yet to evacuate their homes, according to the government media office.

The Israeli Occupation forces also carried out numerous ground invasions without prior notice to the residents, committing horrific massacres in the early stages of these invasions. Notable attacks include the assault on the Maghazi Refugee Camp in early January 2024, the attack on western Khan Younis in February 2024, the assault on the Nuseirat Refugee Camp on June 11, 2024, and the ongoing attacks on the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City at the end of that month.

Israeli forces have used evacuation orders as a form of collective punishment. For instance, late at night, they instructed residents of eastern Khan Younis to evacuate their homes and move to the Mawasi area—a vast, service-less sandy expanse between Khan Younis and the central region—under the pretense of a planned invasion.

However, the anticipated attack did not occur, revealing that the evacuation orders were intended to burden residents and force them to relocate in the dead of night.

Intelligence Objectives

In addition to its policy of collective punishment, the Israeli Occupation forces use leaflets to gather information about Israeli prisoners held by Palestinian resistance groups.

These leaflets display photos, ages, and the areas where the prisoners were captured, urging citizens to provide any information in exchange for substantial financial rewards.

Some leaflets claim that Hamas has lost its power and will be unable to hold collaborators accountable. They also promise protection for informants and their families.

The Israeli Occupation forces regularly drop leaflets featuring photos of prisoners, with variations depending on the location. For example, leaflets with images of prisoners were distributed in Deir al-Balah in December 2023, and again in February and April 2024, as well as continuously in Rafah, over areas where displaced people are gathered.

The Israeli army also distributed leaflets with images of leaders, fighters, and both military and civilian activists, requesting that anyone who has seen them or knows their families contact the Israeli military.

At the end of October 2023, the Israeli Occupation forces distributed leaflets across Gaza featuring the photos of ten leaders from the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, with each name accompanied by a reward amount based on the perceived importance of the individual to “Israel.”

Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets with the photos and names of resistance fighters, alleging that they were involved in leading the operations of October 7.

One of the leaflets dropped by aircraft in January 2024 read, “People of Gaza, Hamas has lost its power and cannot even fry an egg. Hamas’s end is near. For your future, provide us with information that will help us capture those who have brought destruction to Gaza. Think about your future; confidentiality is guaranteed."

The leaflet featured a photo of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar with a reward of $400,000, followed by Qassam Brigades Mohammad Sinwar with a $300,000 reward. It also listed senior Hamas commander Rafa Salama with a $200,000 reward, and finally, the leader of Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, with a $100,000 reward.

Despite the extensive propaganda effort by the Israeli military and intelligence services, there appear to be no significant results from these attempts.

Even with the large sums offered for information on their captives in Gaza, the Israeli Occupation forces have struggled to recover many of their prisoners. Out of 160 captives, they managed to free only 7 alive.

Calls for Recruitment

The Israeli Occupation uses leaflets openly and directly to coerce and pressure Gazans into working as “spies”.

One leaflet claimed that the Israeli forces had uncovered confidential data on security officers from the Gaza Ministry of Interior who were gathering information on individuals under surveillance. The leaflet included photos of three individuals, labeling them as "Hamas agents," and included alleged conversations attributed to them. It also displayed personal identification numbers of dozens of people deemed Hamas collaborators, urging them to "contact the Israeli army before it's too late," a direct call for collaboration with “Israel.”

In addition to their security role, the leaflets created by Israeli intelligence and military play a provocative role against the resistance, attempting to undermine its popular support.

The leaflets are continuously dropped in densely populated refugee areas, blaming the resistance for their suffering. They often feature images of Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders in offices and conference rooms, contrasting them with displaced individuals in tents.

After each massacre, the Israeli forces claim that the attack targeted individuals sought in the area. Following the massacre during the rescue of four hostages from the Nuseirat camp, the forces dropped a leaflet showing a market scene from the camp, with malicious captions like "Hamas uses Gaza's residents as human shields," "Hamas is an enemy of the Palestinian people," and "Hamas has failed in its duties as a ruler."

Another leaflet read, "O killers of Hamas [those who do not care for Muslims are not among them]" with images of massacres and concluded with a slogan and the Star of David.

Despite this incitement, popular support for the resistance remains high. Palestinian chants in support of the resistance are routinely heard during the funeral of martyrs or moments of their retrieval, with calls for retaliation. In displacement centers, support for the resistance is evident through cheers and celebratory calls during rocket launches or announcements of resistance operations.

Provocation and Mockery

In another tactic, Israeli intelligence works to provoke the emotions of the Palestinian public through sarcastic leaflets that mock Palestinians and their situation amid the conflict.

Some of these leaflets even target their religious practices, including verses from the Quran and Hadith, mixing ridicule with gloating over the dire conditions in Gaza.

Following the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital massacre on October 30, 2023, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets with the text, "The flood overwhelmed them while they were wrongdoers," quoting a Quranic verse, with a message from the Israeli Occupation forces, "The true promise."

In December 2023, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over displaced gatherings in Rafah, stating that the war would continue until Ramadan, with the phrase, "Ramadan brings us together."

During Ramadan, amid the severe Israeli massacres and widespread famine, aircraft dropped leaflets on displaced Gazans, reading, “Feed the hungry, speak kindly, may your fast be accepted and your sins are forgiven, and enjoy a delicious Iftar. Israel Defense Forces / Opening new horizons for Gaza's residents.”

West Bank

This policy is not limited to Gaza; leaflets are now widely distributed in the West Bank as well.

Amid escalating operations in the West Bank, the Israeli Occupation forces have been distributing leaflets stating, "Anyone who considers themselves a member of Hamas or supports it in any way, even by raising its flag, is solely responsible for what happens to them and their family."

They continued their threats, saying, "The Israeli army will reach them, their homes, and everyone who collaborates with them. Hamas will never be allowed to raise its head in the West Bank."

Finally, after suffering significant blows in the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank from bombings and gunfire, the Israeli Occupation forces released leaflets stating, "To the dear residents, terrorism has destroyed the camp. Armed individuals are exploiting you, using the civilian area as a base for terrorism."

"They are hiding explosives and firing from homes and civilian institutions. For your safety, report to Captain Abu Sultan [the officer in charge of Balata Camp in northern West Bank ].”