Hamas directs media outlets to support Houthis' narrative in new attacks, i24NEWS learns
According to sources, the directive included conducting interviews with Houthi officials and publishing the group's materials, in addition to supporting its narrative regarding attacks on Saudi Arabia
Informed Palestinian sources have revealed to i24NEWS that the media department of Hamas issued a directive in the past few days to its media outlets, including channels, websites, and social media platforms, to support the narrative of the Houthis in their attacks in Yemen as well as against Saudi Arabia.
The sources told i24news that the directive included the possibility of holding meetings with Houthi officials, considering them to be the party that has consistently stood with Gaza during the war. It also mentioned the need to continuously document the hashtag Yemen_truth (#اليمن_الصدق), referring to the support the Houthis provided to Hamas during the war by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli targets.
The sources indicated that activists from the youth media center affiliated with Hamas were asked to contribute in WhatsApp press groups by supporting news about the Houthis and sharing videos published by them. Hamas is especially pressuring the "Smart Media" group managed by a Hamas media official named Wael Abu Omar.
Omar is known to have raised large sums of money for Hamas during the war and presented himself as an initiator, but most of the money actually went to his own movement.
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Sources mentioned that the Smart Group includes a large number of journalists and contains leaders from Hamas. Hamas considers it one of its most important platforms on WhatsApp to disseminate information, whether misleading or accurate, in various ways through its activists.
For example, the group fabricated a report claiming that the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate had apologized to the Ministry of Health after accusing it of corruption, especially regarding the granting of the necessary medical referrals for Gazans to travel, which are subject to significant manipulation.
The Gazan activist Motaz Azaiza revealed in recent days, during an interview on a YouTube podcast, that he was among the Smart Media group at the beginning of the war, and they were receiving orders from Hamas-affiliated journalists working there to attack its opponents and focus on certain policies.
The sources told i24NEWS that there is interest among the Hamas leadership in what the Houthis are doing, and that the instructions emphasize the necessity of supporting them in the media during their campaign against Saudi Arabia.