Hamas fires threatening text messages at Israeli mobile phones while Israel bombards Palestinians with menacing phone calls
Hazem Balousha in Gaza City and Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 January 2009 00.01 GMT
Israel and Hamas have mounted psychological warfare on each others' civilian populations. Hamas says it is firing threatening text messages at Israeli mobile phones and jamming radio stations while Israel is bombarding Palestinians with menacing phone calls and leaflets.
"The messages say that the Palestinian resistance missiles will reach you wherever you are and your government won't be able to protect you," said Abu Mujaheid, spokesman for the Palestinian Resistance Committees.
Hamas says it can send up to 70,000 text messages but so far there have been reports of just dozens.
"[Israel is] sending text messages and interrupting Palestinian radio and trying to scare Palestinians with their messages so we are running a counter campaign by sending text messages to Israelis," Mujaheid said.
According to Israeli media reports the messaging is crude. "Rockets on all cities, shelters not protect, Qassam rocket, Hamas," is how the text reportedly read in Hebrew.
"This is another manipulation by Hamas, whether they are sending the messages or not," said Captain Benjamin Rutland, a spokesman for Israel's military, who said he could not confirm what Hamas claiming.
"While they claim to send threatening messages, the IDF uses messages to warn people to evacuate areas that are about to be attacked because they are being used for terrorist purposes," Rutland said.
But many Palestinians perceive Israel's messages as threatening.
One leaflet found in Gaza City by the Guardian reads: "To the residents of the Gaza Strip, be responsible for your fate. The rockets launched by terrorists are putting you and your families at risk. For your safety, please keep your call secret. The Israeli army will respond if the rocket fire continues."
"If you want to help your families and friends and brothers in the Gaza Strip please call," it says, listing what appears to be either a Jerusalem or Ramallah number.
There is also a mistrust of Israel's phone calls, some of which are recorded and some of which are live, warning people they have just minutes to evacuate before they bomb the house.
Hamdi Shakura, a human rights lawyer at the Palestinian Human Rights Centre in Gaza says despite the hundreds of phone calls to families warning their house is about to be blown up, only 37 have been destroyed.
Many families have left their homes to stay with friends and relatives.
"Who can tell where the next hit will be," says Shakura. "Who can advise people not to take the threats seriously, it's psychological war fare but it's real."
The Palestinian phone company, Paltel, has been phoning customers in Gaza to reassure them that they are not responsible for the calls that Israel has been making to their phones.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/03/israelandthepalestinians-middleeast
Hazem Balousha in Gaza City and Toni O'Loughlin in Jerusalem guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 January 2009 00.01 GMT
Israel and Hamas have mounted psychological warfare on each others' civilian populations. Hamas says it is firing threatening text messages at Israeli mobile phones and jamming radio stations while Israel is bombarding Palestinians with menacing phone calls and leaflets.
"The messages say that the Palestinian resistance missiles will reach you wherever you are and your government won't be able to protect you," said Abu Mujaheid, spokesman for the Palestinian Resistance Committees.
Hamas says it can send up to 70,000 text messages but so far there have been reports of just dozens.
"[Israel is] sending text messages and interrupting Palestinian radio and trying to scare Palestinians with their messages so we are running a counter campaign by sending text messages to Israelis," Mujaheid said.
According to Israeli media reports the messaging is crude. "Rockets on all cities, shelters not protect, Qassam rocket, Hamas," is how the text reportedly read in Hebrew.
"This is another manipulation by Hamas, whether they are sending the messages or not," said Captain Benjamin Rutland, a spokesman for Israel's military, who said he could not confirm what Hamas claiming.
"While they claim to send threatening messages, the IDF uses messages to warn people to evacuate areas that are about to be attacked because they are being used for terrorist purposes," Rutland said.
But many Palestinians perceive Israel's messages as threatening.
One leaflet found in Gaza City by the Guardian reads: "To the residents of the Gaza Strip, be responsible for your fate. The rockets launched by terrorists are putting you and your families at risk. For your safety, please keep your call secret. The Israeli army will respond if the rocket fire continues."
"If you want to help your families and friends and brothers in the Gaza Strip please call," it says, listing what appears to be either a Jerusalem or Ramallah number.
There is also a mistrust of Israel's phone calls, some of which are recorded and some of which are live, warning people they have just minutes to evacuate before they bomb the house.
Hamdi Shakura, a human rights lawyer at the Palestinian Human Rights Centre in Gaza says despite the hundreds of phone calls to families warning their house is about to be blown up, only 37 have been destroyed.
Many families have left their homes to stay with friends and relatives.
"Who can tell where the next hit will be," says Shakura. "Who can advise people not to take the threats seriously, it's psychological war fare but it's real."
The Palestinian phone company, Paltel, has been phoning customers in Gaza to reassure them that they are not responsible for the calls that Israel has been making to their phones.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/03/israelandthepalestinians-middleeast