Israel’s official Twitter account has come under fire again after posting tweets filled with rocket emojis in an attempt to highlight the number of missiles that have been fired at Israel by Hamas.
On Monday, the State of Israel’s official account on Twitter posted 12 tweets filled with 3,168 rocket emojis. In a follow up tweet, they said: “Just to give you all some perspective, these are the total amount of rockets shot at Israeli civilians. Each one of these rockets is meant to kill.”
Israel’s attempt to highlight the number of Palestinian rockets with which it was targeted was not warmly received by some, although the rocket emojis were widely retweeted. Many responded by asking Israel to make similar emoji tweets but showing the destruction and deaths it inflicted on the Gazan side.
“Is this really an emoji fight you want to get in?” one user asked.
Others questioned whether it was appropriate for a country’s official Twitter account to be posting such things. “I’m convinced this is a meme account,” one user commented.
“I saw that Israel tweet with all the rocket emojis earlier and could not process that it was real. What a horror,” another person added.
This is not the first time that Israel’s Twitter account has caused controversy for the informal nature of its posts. On Sunday, the account called out supermodel Bella Hadid – whose father is Palestinian – for joining a pro-Palestine rally in New York. The tweet accused her and other celebrities of advocating “the elimination of the Jewish State.”
Israel has blamed Hamas for firing some 3,350 rockets towards Israeli territory, and responded with raids of its own, which have so far claimed 212 lives, including 61 children, the Gaza Health Ministry reported on Monday. The bombing campaign has left some 1,400 Palestinians wounded, and forced some 40,000 families to flee their homes, according to the ministry.
In Israel, at least 10 people, including two children, were reported killed in the attacks, as well as 50 injured.
The strikes come amid mounting tensions between Tel Aviv and the Hamas government of Gaza, which were ratcheted up after violent clashes in Jerusalem where Palestinians protested against the eviction of several families last week. An incident at Al-Aqsa mosque, in which Israeli security forces fired stun grenades and tear gas at worshipers, served as a flashpoint, with Hamas and other militant groups firing their first volley of rockets into Israeli cities soon after. The IDF has launched hundreds of deadly airstrikes in response.
Israel has rejected accusations that the bombings in Gaza are disproportionate, insisting it has been trying its best to avoid collateral damage. Palestinian militant groups have fired more than 3,150 missiles at Israel, killing 10.
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