A conflict is escalating in Gaza, where the Israeli Defense Force has been engaged with Hamas for the past several days. And whoever is running the IDF’s Twitter account has decided to live-tweet the entire thing. The disconnect between the cavalier tone and the grave content is positively surreal.
Here’s what conflict looks like at the intersection of war and tweets. It’s bizarre, it’s disturbing. And you can’t look away:
New Gaza Division Commander: “The reality demands vigilance.” #IDF http://t.co/yAENHMLg
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 7, 2012
Yesterday, #IDF transferred 8,262 tons of goods&gas into #Gaza incl. 880 tons of wheat&grain.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 7, 2012
Photo of the Day: Fired up! pic.twitter.com/vCMpAIvt
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 7, 2012
Earlier today terrorists opened fire & fired mortars at IDF soldiers engaged in routine activity near the #Gaza fence
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 8, 2012
Breaking: 2 rockets fired from #Gaza struck southern #Israel #ShabbatShalom
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 9, 2012
Update: 4 IDF soldiers wounded as a result of anti-tank missile fired on a patrol near #Gaza
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 10, 2012
Update: today 16 rockets fired from #Gaza hit southern #Israel. Over 1 million people are living under fire.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 10, 2012
Its been a sleepless night: Overnight, 36 rockets fired from #Gaza hit #Israel. Morning of #Terror.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 11, 2012
No school today for the children living in the #Gaza envelope, due to the constant threat of rocket fire. #LifeUnderFire
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 11, 2012
77: Rockets that have hit Israel since yesterday. 45: Rockets that have hit today. 15: Seconds you have to find shelter if you're near Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 11, 2012
Playing war games on Call of Duty last night? Over 1 million Israelis are still under REAL fire #BlackOps2
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 13, 2012
The first target, hit minutes ago, was Ahmed Al-Jabari, head of the #Hamas military wing: http://t.co/qD5osfwb
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 14, 2012
VIDEO: IDF Pinpoint Strike on Ahmed Jabri, Head of #Hamas Military Wing http://t.co/kqvKcvfS #Gaza #PillarOfDefense
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 14, 2012
Aerial photo: Long-range rocket launch site in Zeitoun neighborhood, meters away from mosque & playground #Hamas pic.twitter.com/xes7g5hF
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 14, 2012
This is 2nd day of #PillarOfDefense. Here's a video of the #Israel Air Force targeting a rocket warehouse in #Gaza. http://t.co/VOgMjBjd
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 15, 2012
What’s most unnerving, though, is how aggressively the IDFSpokesperson account is angling tweets of the ongoing conflict. Dropping viral hashtags like #BlackOps2 is a cynical—but probably effective—way to get as many eyes on your tweets as possible. It’s also downright disturbing.
4 amazing IDF gadgets James Bond wishes he had: http://t.co/KU2iYtMO #Skyfall @007
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 9, 2012
Think #Skyfall was a wow? These IDF gadgets will make Q eat his heart out. http://t.co/lszbQxXe @007
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 9, 2012
James Bond has some neat gadgets, but they don't measure up to ours. http://t.co/lh40lJVQ #Skyfall
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 9, 2012
Image credit: Uriel Sinai / Getty Images News
