Navigating the Sea of Disinformation in the Israel-Hamas War

The Israel-Hamas conflict has led to a surge of disinformation on social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). Journalists, researchers, and fact-checkers struggled to verify the flood of raw video footage and images being shared online, as disinformation spread rapidly. Verified content and primary sources were difficult to find, while false information, including video game footage and old images, circulated widely. The algorithm on X promoted posts from users with a premium subscription, further exacerbating the spread of disinformation. Elon Musk's endorsement of known spreaders of disinformation added to the problem. The situation highlights the challenges faced by OSINT researchers in debunking false content instead of sharing real footage from the conflict.