Airstrikes by Israel result in the death of many in Gaza, while it's disclosed that a $45 million public relations campaign was executed by Israel with Google

In a troubling turn of events, Gaza, a region currently facing famine conditions, is at the centre of a heated controversy. Over 43,000 children under the age of five in Gaza are malnourished, and approximately 55,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women lack proper nutrition.

The crisis has led to international scrutiny, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In an attempt to manage international criticism and amplify Israeli propaganda, the Israeli government has entered into a $45 million, six-month contract with Google. This contract, concluded by Netanyahu's office in June 2025, aims to promote government messaging and downplay the famine in Gaza.

The campaign, referred to as "Hasbara," is a Hebrew term often translated as "propaganda." As part of this campaign, Israel has spent $3 million on ads with the U.S. platform X and $2.1 million with Outbrain/Teads. Ads denying the existence of famine in Gaza have reached over 6 million views through paid promotion.

The controversy deepened when an Israeli military campaign in Gaza resulted in the death of over 63,700 Palestinians since October 2023. On Wednesday alone, at least 46 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks, and six more died of starvation in the famine-stricken Gaza Strip.

The campaign was initiated amid questions from lawmakers about how the government would manage international criticism. The situation escalated further when three more people were killed in an Israeli helicopter attack in central Gaza, and five people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, were killed in an Israeli helicopter strike on a residential building in western Gaza City.

Google has been described as a "key entity" in supporting Netanyahu's public relations strategy. However, the involvement of such a prominent tech company in a campaign that downplays a humanitarian crisis has raised ethical concerns.

This ongoing crisis in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international intervention to address the humanitarian crisis and hold those responsible for alleged war crimes accountable.