According to US Department of Justice records, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hired the newly established Bridges Partners, the Christian PR agency Show Faith by Works, and the online consultancy Clock Tower X via the European Havas Media Group.

All of the companies contracted promise to help bolster the country’s online image and restore support among young right-wing and Evangelical US voters that polling suggests is haemorrhaging as a result of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Israel is acutely conscious of the need to control how its war, in which it has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, is perceived by its allies and sponsors in the US.

A study of Israel’s online activity published by the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies in May found a coordinated social media campaign to sway international sympathies in its favour throughout the conflict, which began in October 2023.

But while Israel was able to garner favourable coverage from traditional US media outlets in the early months of the war, it was losing the battle on social media, where videos revealing the mass killing and devastation in Gaza were going viral, and generating sympathy for the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recognised this, referring to social media as a “weapon” in Israel’s campaign to shore up support in the US – and saying that the purchase of TikTok by a consortium led by pro-Israel billionaires was a “most important purchase”.

Each of the PR companies contracted through Havas promises a fresh approach in that campaign, targeting key demographics, religious groups and even the way the war is discussed online.

Keeping faith
According to its FARA filing, Show Faith by Works has been hired by Israel to run a $3.2m outreach and digital targeting campaign to foster “positive associations with the Nation of Israel” in churches in the US and portray “the Palestinian population” as “extremist”.

In documents enclosed in the FARA filing, Show Faith by Works also promises Israel that it will conduct “the largest Geofencing and Christian Targeting campaign in US history”.

Geofencing targets and tracks the communication devices of users when they come into proximity of a specific location or area – in this case, Christian universities or churches identified by the PR company.

The company is also planning what it calls a mobile “10/7 Experience” – referring to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel – which could be taken to Christian colleges, churches, and events.

According to the filings, the experience would include a “VR headset, set pieces, full-length TVs for interactive experience” of the attack, during which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 taken captive.

The company details that it can also offer the participation of “Christian Celebrity Spokespeople” such as actors Chris Pratt and Jon Voight – the latter an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump.

Rewriting the present
Clock Tower claims in its FARA filing that it has been engaged to connect with the Gen Z age demographic through social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram and to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok. The activities officially aim to “combat anti-Semitism” – a term often deployed by the Israeli government to counter criticism of its genocidal war on Gaza.

In its filing, Clock Tower promises to use AI modelling to ensure that the Israeli-supervised campaign – and by extension narratives – are prominent online during the course of its war on Gaza.

“If you can create enough online noise, through either social media or highly ranked websites, you’re able to influence AI’s large language models [like ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok],” said Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor of media analytics and an expert in disinformation at Northwestern University Qatar.

“LLMs [large language models] are trained on a set amount of data, where they scrape large amounts of [historical] information. However, many models such as Grok, ChatGPT or Gemini use what they call retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), where they also pull contemporary data from websites and social media,” Jones said.

“What companies like Clock Tower X are promising is that, if they can flood the information space with sites and content sympathetic to Israel – what’s called RAG poisoning – there’ll be enough there to at least muddy the waters around what others see as a clear-cut genocide.”

Clock Tower, headed by former Donald Trump aide Brad Parscale, also says that much of this content will be integrated with that of right-wing Christian network Salem Media, which in April announced a strategic partnership with Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.

Anonymous influencing
The campaign promised by Bridges Partners has already become the source of an online meme – but not in the way the company or Israel would have been hoping.

Bridges Partners’ campaign involves an unnamed cohort of between 14 and 18 influencers who would be paid to post in support of Israel. After breaking down the figures included by Bridges Partners in their invoices to Havas, Responsible Statecraft – the Quincy Institute’s online magazine – found that the influencers were likely being paid around $7,000 per post.

The number has been quickly seized upon by detractors of Israel, who regularly post the amount underneath posts they suspect of being part of the pro-Israel campaign, indicating that they believe the poster has been “bought” by Israel.

Responsible Statecraft reported earlier this month that the anonymity of the US influencers, who under the terms of their agreements would post paid pro-Israel content since July, could potentially be illegal if their identities remain undisclosed.

At present, the Bridges Partners filing names only one registered foreign agent: consultant Uri Steinberg, who holds a 50 percent stake in the company.

It is too early to say whether the campaign will ultimately be successful. But the backlash towards the arrangement once it became public illustrates just how difficult the task will be for Israel to change perceptions that have now become deeply ingrained, particularly among younger people.

“No matter what artificial data is produced, it still won’t be enough to counter the volume of factual reporting of the war on Gaza,” Jones said.

“However, there might be enough to promote a sense of ambiguity over it, to present both sides as more equal in the conflict, or to present Israel’s response to the attack of October 7 as more reasonable than some now think it is.”

Al Jazeera has been unable to contact Bridges Partners, Clock Tower X, or Show Faith by Works for comment.

Inquiries to the Israeli chief of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eran Shayovich, and to Havas Media Group have also gone unanswered.

Medical teams are continuing to examine, document and prepare the bodies for delivery to families “in line with approved medical procedures and protocols”, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Under a ceasefire deal backed by US President Donald Trump and aimed at ending the two-year Gaza war, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned. The remains of 45 people were returned on Monday.

Palestinians awaited information about the bodies that arrived at Nasser Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. The forensics team described disturbing conditions, bearing signs of physical abuse.

Some of the Palestinian bodies were blindfolded and handcuffed, indicating “field executions” may have taken place, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Israel is expected to hand over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It remains unclear whether the bodies were dug up from cemeteries by the Israeli army during its ground offensive or if they belong to detainees who were killed during the Israeli assault. Throughout the war, Israel’s military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of captives.

As forensic teams examined the first remains returned, the Health Ministry on Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives.

Many appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust. Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.

The forensics team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.

“There are signs of torture and executions,” Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Nasser Hospital, said.

The bodies belonged to men aged 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one who had a rope around his neck. Most of the bodies wore civilian clothing, but some were in uniforms, suggesting they were Palestinian fighters.

Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain of their relatives’ fate.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the Health Ministry. Palestinian officials say the true toll could be far higher, with tens of thousands of bodies believed to be under the rubble.

Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Rasmiya Qudeih, 52, waited outside Nasser Hospital, hoping her son would be among the 45 bodies transferred from Israel on Wednesday.

He vanished on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led attack. She was told he was killed by an Israeli strike.

“God willing, he will be with the bodies,” she said.

The Health Ministry released a video showing medical workers examining the bodies, saying the remains would be returned to families or buried if left unidentified.

Rights groups and a United Nations Commission of Inquiry have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and South Africa has filed a case alleging Israel committed genocide at the International Court of Justice. Israel denies the accusations.

More than 100 aid organisations working in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have accused Israel of dangerously “weaponising aid” in its application of new rules for registering groups involved in delivering humanitarian assistance.

The letter represents the latest broadside from the international aid community against Israel after the EU, Britain and Japan on Tuesday called for urgent action to stop “famine” spreading in the Gaza Strip.

The letter was published as Gaza’s health authority reported continuing deaths from malnutrition in the besieged Palestinian territory, and amid threats by Israel to take full military control of the coastal strip with reports in Hebrew media suggesting the country may be planning to mobilise up to 100,000 reservists for the new offensive.
The letter, signed by organisations including Oxfam, Médecins Sans Frontières and Care, was written in response to registration rules announced by Israel in March that require organisations to hand over lists of their donors and Palestinian staff for vetting.

The groups contend that doing so could endanger their staff and give Israel broad grounds to block aid if groups are deemed to be “delegitimising” the country or supporting boycotts or divestment.

The registration measures were “designed to control independent organisations, silence advocacy and censor humanitarian reporting”, they said.

The letter added: “This obstruction has left millions of dollars’ worth of food, medicine, water and shelter items stranded in warehouses across Jordan and Egypt.”
On Tuesday, Israel’s ministry for diaspora and combating antisemitism said it had revoked the work permits of 10 NGOs that had applied for authorisations.

Under the new rules, which are vague and broad-reaching, a team led by the diaspora ministry can refuse registration to aid groups if they or their members published calls to boycott Israel in the past seven years; if there is “reasonable basis to assume” that they oppose Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state; or if they “actively advance delegitimisation activities against the state of Israel”.

The aid groups’ letter said the rules violated European data privacy regulations, noting that in some cases aid groups had been given only seven days to comply.

“Instead of clearing the growing backlog of goods, Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are ‘not authorised to deliver aid’,” the letter added, saying that 60 requests from 29 organisations were denied in July citing this justification.

Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, denied the letter’s claims, adding without evidence that aid groups were being used as cover by Hamas to “exploit the aid to strengthen its military capabilities and consolidate its control”, despite the fact that Israel already claims to control 75% of Gaza.
The aid groups stressed on Thursday that most of them had not been able to deliver “a single truck” of life-saving assistance since Israel implemented a blockade in March.

The vast majority of aid is not reaching civilians in Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been killed, most of the population has been displaced and famine is taking hold. UN agencies and a small number of aid groups have resumed delivering assistance, but say the number of trucks allowed in remains far from sufficient.

The letter was published as Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, backed plans for a major settlement development outside Jerusalem, which he said would represent the “final nail in the coffin” of Palestinian ambitions for their own state.

The E1 settlement plan for more than 3,000 housing units – which critics, including much of the international community, say would split the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem – is highly likely to be approved by a planning body next week. But it still remains uncertain whether the plan, which has been frozen for more than five years, will advance, given the likely international fallout.

While his support for the plan was announced by Smotrich at a press conference on Thursday, it remains uncertain how much backing it has from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as does the attitude of Donald Trump’s White House.

Smotrich’s comments come after many countries said they would recognise a Palestinian state in September.

“This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,” said Smotrich, whose extremist party has experienced a collapse in support.

“Death by bombardments. Death by malnutrition and starvation. Death by lack of aid and vital services,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a post on X on Tuesday.

“In Gaza, an average of 28 children a day – the size of a classroom – have been killed.”

The agency stressed that children in Gaza are in urgent need of food, clean water, medicine and protection, adding: “More than anything, they need a ceasefire, NOW.”

Israel has killed more than 18,000 children – one child every hour – since the start of its genocidal war on Gaza. At least 60,933 Palestinians have been killed and 150,027 others wounded since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel.

Israel’s war on Gaza is also leaving its psychological scars on children.

The hair and skin of Lana, a 10-year-old displaced child, turned white almost overnight after a bombing near her shelter triggered what doctors call trauma-induced depigmentation. Lana has become withdrawn, often only talking to her doll, as other children bully her for her appearance.

“Gaza is a graveyard for children today and for their dreams,” Ahmad Alhendawi, regional director of the NGO Save the Children, told Al Jazeera. “This is an inescapable living nightmare for every child in Gaza … This is a generation that is growing up thinking that the world has abandoned them, that the world has turned its back on them.”

Netanyahu says Israel, US considering ‘alternative options’ to talks with Hamas

Despite insistence from Hamas that it is ready to work towards a deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel and the US are weighing ways to secure the release of captives in Gaza that do not depend on a negotiated agreement with the Palestinian group.

“Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal,” he claimed. “Together with our US allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas’s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region.”

‘We won’t give up,’ journalist in Gaza says

Al Jazeera has spoken with Noor al-Shana, an independent journalist in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, about the deepening crisis of malnutrition and starvation.

The crisis, she said, now affects everyone – and every aspect of life – in Gaza. “I have been facing a lot of struggles to find food,” even one meal per day, said al-Shana, who has four relatives who were killed at GHF-run aid sites while seeking food.

“It’s not easy to continue in this war,” she said. “But we won’t give up for people in Gaza, for our right to live in dignity, to live like people around the world.”

Palestinian factions reject Witkoff statement, call Hamas response ‘positive’

A coalition of Palestinian armed groups and political-military factions that are fighting against Israel in Gaza and the occupied West Bank says the Hamas response to Israel during the ceasefire talks came after multilateral consultations with the aim of reaching a deal.

“We condemn the statement made by Steve Witkoff, the American partner of the occupation, who held the negotiating resistance delegation responsible for the failure to reach an agreement, despite the great flexibility and high level of responsibility demonstrated” in Qatar, the Palestinian Resistance Factions said in a statement.

It stated its commitment to a deal “that will end the suffering and halt the bloodshed and massacres perpetrated by the enemy against our oppressed Palestinian people”.

Trump accuses Hamas of blocking ceasefire efforts

US President Donald Trump has said Hamas is not interested in a ceasefire and captive release deal, a day after his envoy said US negotiators are pulling out of talks in Qatar.

Speaking at the White House, Trump also said he believes Hamas fighters are going “to be hunted down”.

Hamas responded to the US’s comments yesterday with surprise, saying it had submitted a positive and constructive response to the latest proposal it was offered.

Gaza’s government demands ‘immediate end to famine’ imposed by Israel

Gaza’s Government Media Office has demanded an immediate end to the famine, the opening of all crossings, and the entry of baby formula as part of 500 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks daily to stave off the “disaster” in Gaza.

“We demand the formation of an international commission to investigate the systematic starvation crime,” it said in a statement, also calling for the arrest of Israeli “war criminals”, including soldiers vacationing in or travelling to countries around the world.

“We hold the Israeli occupation, the US administration, and countries involved in genocide, such as Britain, Germany, and France, as well as the international community, fully responsible for this historic crime.”

The office confirmed the death toll from famine and malnutrition in Gaza has risen to 122, including 83 children.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) rejected the notion that there was famine in Gaza, but said the humanitarian aid situation “continues to be difficult and challenging”.

Armed wing of Hamas reports attack on Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza

The armed wing of Hamas, Qassam Brigades, says its fighters have targeted a Nimr armoured personnel carrier with Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel will coordinate airdrops of aid into Gaza from foreign countries in the coming days, an Israeli security official confirmed to ABC News, as several European countries are scheduled to hold an emergency call Friday over the dire conditions in the enclave.

So far, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates will be participating in the aid drops.

Aid drops have taken place a number of times in the Gaza Strip since the war began, and on multiple occasions have led to deaths and injuries, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

MORE: 'They're losing hope': What doctors, aid workers are seeing in Gaza amid hunger crisis
The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy will hold an emergency call on Friday to talk about the deteriorating conditions in Gaza as more than 100 aid groups warn mass starvation is fast approaching, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday.

"The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe," Starmer said.

Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
Smoke and fire rise to the sky following an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

"We will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace. We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay," Starmer said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, "It is essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East."

"There must be an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. It is also necessary to ensure the demilitarization of Hamas, secure and rebuild Gaza," Macron continued.

MORE: Israel-Middle East conflict: Slideshow
Macron said he would make the official announcement at the U.N. in September. Starmer signaled the same British support.

"We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis," Starmer said.

Israel condemned France's decision, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, "Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel."

AFP via Getty Images
A woman and a child react after identifying the body of a family member at the Nasser hospital, among Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on the al-Mawasi refugee camp and the eastern neighborhoods of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 24, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department rejected the idea that Israel — and by extension the U.S. — is weaponizing aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid rising criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian groups.

"This humanitarian conflict lies at the feet of Hamas, who could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages and laying down their arms," State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Thursday.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said "there is no famine" in Gaza, in an online briefing Wednesday.

Mencer blamed Hamas and called the food crisis in Gaza "a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas."

Pigott touted the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — though its distribution sites are in limited areas in Gaza and aid groups say the supplies provided through the GHF is not nearly enough to address the crushing need.

The U.N. and other aid organizations have refused to collaborate with the group, citing concerns about its transparency and political impartiality.

"This is over 1000 plus since the 27th of May when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started distributing food and people have been shot both while trying to collect food in these distribution centers where Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributes, but also when there have been UN convoys and other aid convoys getting into Gaza and people have tried to jump on those trucks and have been shot and killed," Ajith Sunghay, from the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.

MORE: Israel-Middle East conflict: Slideshow
"Ultimately, what we have seen us do is deliver close to 90 million meals into Gaza during the war zone, [and] the ability to deliver that aid in a way where it is not being looted by Hamas," he said.

"We want to see an end to the devastation that has taken place in Gaza. That's why we have seen this commitment to get aid to the people who need it in a way where it is not weaponized by Hamas. That commitment remains. It is a commitment from President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio. That is why we have supported the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation," Pigott said.

Pigott said the administration was continuing to call on "other entities to step up in working through this mechanism in order to deliver aid to the people of Gaza without it being looted by Hamas."

More than 1,000 people have also been killed by Israeli gunfire near aid distribution sites in Gaza, according to the United Nations. Most of those are operated by GHF, which opened its aid distribution sites on May 27.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement earlier this month, its troops fired near crowds "in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them," though it wasn't specific.

Israeli officials have long accused Hamas of seizing humanitarian goods and selling them to fund militant activity. Hamas denies those claims.

Israeli forces have killed at least 43 Palestinians across Gaza as they target aid seekers and displaced people sheltering in tents.
More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in just five weeks while waiting for food parcels at the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites.
US President Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to “the necessary conditions to finalise” a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, and urges Hamas to accept the proposal.
Officials at al-Shifa, the largest medical centre in northern Gaza, say hundreds of patients are “facing death” as the hospital runs out of fuel amid Israel’s blockade.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,647 people and wounded 134,105, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.

Food and aid were blocked from entering the Palestinian territory for more than two months, but a trickle of supplies has been allowed in over the last few weeks.

The UN said it cannot distribute much of the aid, due to the risk of looters and restrictions on movement.

"This is the worst feast that the Palestinian people have experienced because of the unjust war against the Palestinian people," said Kamel Emran after attending prayers in the southern city of Khan Younis.

The “Madleen” is due to disembark from Catania, Sicily, on Sunday with a cargo of humanitarian aid and several high-profile activists on board, including Thunberg, European Member of Parliament Rima Hassan and Palestinian-American lawyer Huwaida Arraf.

A mission at the start of May was aborted after another FFC vessel, the “Conscience”, was attacked by two alleged drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta.

The FFC alleges that Israel was responsible for the attack, which severely damaged the front section of the ship

This week, thousands of Palestinians rushed to so-called aid distribution stations set up by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, leading to the deaths of at least three people and dozens of injuries in the chaos that ensued as desperate people tried to get food supplies.

One key issue is Netanyahu’s approach to negotiations. While there are ongoing talks between Hamas and international mediators, Netanyahu’s rhetoric appears focused on escalating the conflict rather than resolving it. Critics argue that his threats of seizing land in Gaza are more about political posturing than actual military feasibility. The United States, the Arab League, and even segments of Israel’s own political establishment see these statements as impractical unless Hamas releases Israeli hostages.

Domestically, Netanyahu’s handling of the war has drawn significant criticism. Many Israelis, including those who have served in the military for extended periods, are increasingly unwilling to return to what they see as a futile war. Some believe the conflict is no longer about national security but rather Netanyahu’s political survival. Deep divisions within Israeli society have also been exacerbated by the war, further complicating the government’s ability to unify the nation.

Beyond the battlefield, Israel’s economy is feeling the strain. The recent approval of the 2025 budget highlights these financial pressures, with $30 billion allocated to defense compared to just $25 billion for education. The international credit agency Moody’s has issued warnings about the high political risk to Israel’s economy, citing concerns over the long-term effects of the war. Rising costs of living, real estate instability, and declining foreign investment are beginning to take their toll on Israeli citizens.

Economists warn that Israel has not yet faced the full financial impact of the war. While current hardships include immediate economic downturns, the long-term consequences could be even more severe, affecting generations to come. As the war drags on, the question remains: at what cost will Netanyahu’s government continue its current course?