Israeli Military Pounds Gaza, On YouTube

By: Khaled Wassef
Topics: World Watch

Khaled Wassef is an analyst and producer with the CBS News Internet terrorism monitoring team.

Video clips of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) strikes on Gaza have been posted on a special channel set up by the Israeli military on the famous video-sharing Web site, YouTube.

The channel — youtube.com/user/idfnadesk — was launched on Dec. 29, 2008, and has already attracted 4,122 subscribers. Twelve videos are on-show so far.

YouTube requires age verification if you want to see some of the clips that show missile strikes on human targets.

Some of the videos have already been censored, and then restored by YouTube.

"We were saddened on Dec. 30, 2008 when YouTube took down some of our exclusive footage showing the IDF's (Israeli Defense Forces) operational success in operation Cast Lead against Hamas extremists in the Gaza Strip. Fortunately, due to blogger and viewer support, YouTube has returned the footage they removed," a message posted on the channel's page explained.

(CBS/YouTube)

One clip which shows aerial video of an IAF attack on a Hamas Government Complex in Gaza garnered as many as 56,982 hits in just 24 hours.

Palestinian factions have long used the information superhighway, including YouTube, to spread their propaganda and take their message to a more global audience.

Earlier this year, Hamas even set up its own "AqsaTube" Web site, mainly featuring videos produced by the al-Qassam Brigades Palestinian militant group.

(CBS)

That site has recently been taken down. But In recent years, Qassam and al-Quds Brigades have posted dozens of their videos on popular video-sharing Web sites, the most recent one being a clip depicting Hamas rockets being fired at the city of al-Majdal, about 25 miles north of Gaza, just a couple days ago.

The IDF move to set up a channel on YouTube comes amid reports of heavy civilian casualties suggesting that the Israeli air strikes on Gaza may not be as "surgical" as claimed by the IAF.

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by nirak2-2009 December 31, 2008 6:27 PM EST: I bet if PasadenaDave would be treated worse than a Dog by the Israelis, he would throw anything available at them.
You Americans would be wise not to believe everything they hear from Israel.; Reply to this comment


by hetup-2009 December 31, 2008 5:29 PM EST: Incredible video. I had no idea how big the rockets and payloads were until seeing this. I thought it was like rocket propelled grenades or something. The secondary explosions even from a great distance are extreme. I apologize for my ignorance, thanks for sending realtime news, we just don''t get good news in the USA; Reply to this comment


by pasadenadave-2009 December 31, 2008 5:03 PM EST: Seems simple, very time they send over a rocket, send 10 or 20 back to the same location..; Reply to this comment


by smurfcrusher December 31, 2008 2:19 PM EST: Are the Palestinians able to post their version of events as well? Or have the Israelis cut off their access to the Internet, also?; Reply to this comment