This policy paper addresses the phenomenon of digital hate speech in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war since October 2023 and analyzes its destructive impact on the Palestinian social cohesion. Amid the collapse of traditional institutions and the displacement of more than 90% of the Strip’s population, social media platforms have become the broadest public sphere and, at the same time, the most fragile incubator for the escalation of incitement, bullying, and sectarian and regional stereotyping.
The paper provides a precise diagnosis of the patterns of digital hate speech, analyzes the structural factors that fuel it in the specific context of the Gaza Strip, and measures its impact on youth, women, and vulnerable groups, drawing on comparative international experiences from Rwanda, Syria, and Iraq. In its diagnosis, the paper relies on a qualitative-analytical methodology that combines a review of relevant literature, in-depth interviews with experts in law, digital media, mental health, and humanitarian work, and a limited focus group that included 20 young people, activists, and users of social media platforms in Gaza. The paper treats these data as exploratory indicators for understanding the phenomenon, not as a statistically representative sample of Gazan society as a whole.
The paper concludes with five actionable policy recommendations directed at civil society organizations, decision-makers, and youth as central actors in the process of rebuilding social cohesion.
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