Hamas is expert at "managing the narrative". It's easy to forget that though they are fanatics, they also can be quite intelligent, analyse and massage messages to suit their cause. After October 7, they would have been looking for anything to divert the outrage of people throughout the world and the shame of people within the parameters of their movement and the hospital looked just fine. If I was a conspiracy theorist I could even think "PIJ" did this on purpose. One of the skills that comes with media management is understanding the 24 hour, instant news reality today. Wire service reporters fight to be the first to get some tidbit out from a press conference; I've been there so know. An event in a war is just like that - print first and inquire later. Hamas uses this. That means that those being used need to be extra alert, to frame their writing accordingly, make sure headlines don't mislead,, and take care not to be stooges for actors on the political stage.

More broadly, moreover, Hamas' success at managing public opinion has ensnared millions of people the world over into uncritically swallowing their case. The entire "Palestine" issue is crazily skewed and has been for a few generations now. A big picture analysis of what's going on is only now emerging in the mainstream media in the wake of the massacre. It's not just the gullible public that is being used; policy makers too have a lot to answer for.