“The Word Must Precede the Bullet”: Words as Ammunition–Hamas’s Media Artillery

Abstract

This article analyzes Hamas’s media system as a coordinated propaganda network that operates across traditional and digital platforms to compensate for military weakness and sustain political-religious authority. Through a multi-year analysis of charters, official media outlets, affiliated agencies, and online content, the study traces the evolution of Hamas’s communication strategies from small-scale publications and the early Media Office to a sophisticated infrastructure encompassing television, radio, newspapers, websites, and social media channels such as Telegram. The article introduces a two-tier model of ownership: directly controlled outlets–such as Al-Aqsa TV, Falasteen, Al-Risala, and the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades’ digital platforms, and privately owned but effectively controlled agencies like Shehab and Safa. Conceptually, this study proposes the idea of a “hybrid media system,” combining formal and informal, overt and covert channels, enabling Hamas to claim external pluralism while maintaining internal dominance. The study identifies nine key audience groups and shows how messages are strategically tailored for each, from Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank to Arab states, global Muslim communities, Western publics, and Israelis. Case studies including children’s programming, Telegram ecosystems, and coded broadcasts, illustrate how Hamas uses media for both propaganda and psychological warfare, especially during and after the October 7 attacks and the Iron Swords war.