As bombs fall and Gaza burns, the Israeli army has launched a new front in its war, this time targeting those who rush into the rubble to save lives. In a calculated campaign of incitement, Israel is now seeking to discredit the Palestinian Civil Defense and its spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, through what officials describe as “black propaganda” aimed at undermining their humanitarian credibility.

International journalists and media organisations have reportedly received direct messages from the Israeli military accusing Basal of affiliation with a political group nearly two decades ago. The intent, according to the Civil Defense, is clear: to sever international trust and silence the voice documenting the suffering of Gaza’s people. But on the ground, there is no politics in pulling children from debris or carrying bodies through cratered streets. There is only survival, and those who stand between life and death.

The Civil Defense in Gaza, active since 2008, maintains it is a non-partisan, humanitarian service with no political ties. Its mission is to serve a population under siege, enduring war and blockade without access to the most basic necessities. Basal has become a recognisable voice not for any faction, but for the wounded, the buried, and the grieving.

By targeting him, Israel is not merely attacking a man, but attempting to delegitimise the very act of civil rescue in Gaza. This is not just a media war, it is an effort to erase witness accounts, discredit rescue workers, and deflect from the violations of international humanitarian law that have unfolded day after day.

As the world watches Gaza suffer in isolation, this campaign serves as a reminder of the lengths to which Israel will go to silence truth. In response, the Civil Defense has called on international humanitarian institutions to speak out, not only to defend a spokesperson, but to protect the principle that saving lives should never be criminalised.