A ceasefire and hostage-return agreement has been signed by Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, 468 days after the war began with the deadly October 7th attacks. According to the details of the deal, the initial phase of the ceasefire will last 42 days, during which 33 hostages will be returned to their families and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli jails.

The two sides will also begin negotiations for the second and third phases of the agreement, aiming to secure the release of all remaining living hostages and the return of the deceased for burial.

Online Conversation Splits Differently

The announcement of the agreement led to a 148% increase in social media conversation compared to the average, but the nature of that conversation felt like two different universes. Many celebrated the imminent release of hostages. However, posts about the return of the hostages accounted for only 10% of all posts related to the ceasefire since Wednesday. 

Conversations about the hostages were overshadowed by posts from individuals celebrating the deal as a victory for the “Palestinian resistance,” focusing on the perceived end of the war and largely omitting mentions of the hostages held in Gaza.

In many cases, these discussions included antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric, with examples such as calls to “dismantle Zionism” and claims about “Jewish supremacy plaguing our planet.” Additionally, some users referred to the Palestinian prisoners to be released under the agreement as “hostages,” despite many being convicted for killing civilians in terrorist attacks.

During the implementation of the ceasefire and hostage-return agreement, the FCAS Command Center will monitor social media activity to analyze how these events are covered online.

In the last ceasefire agreement in November 2023, we tracked numerous posts reaching millions spreading misinformation and Hamas propaganda, designed to portray Hamas as humanitarian. Additionally, AI-generated fake war images and videos were used to gain sympathy for Hamas’ cause. We anticipate that similar disinformation campaigns will be prevalent on social media during this ceasefire as well.