The Language of War and Destruction: Analyzing Serbian Media Coverage of Israeli Aggression on Palestine

Riznić, Jelena and Stakić, Isidora (2024) The Language of War and Destruction: Analyzing Serbian Media Coverage of Israeli Aggression on Palestine. In: Society and Structural Violence. Filozofski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu, Institut društvenih nauka, Beograd, pp. 46-47. ISBN 978-86-6427-336-7

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Abstract

Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has been a major point of di- vision in the international community since 1948. The latest phase of bomb- ings in the Gaza Strip has led to unprecedented destruction and casualties. According to UNRWA, between October 2023 and September 2024, more than 41,000 people were killed, including over 16,000 children, and more than 96,000 were wounded in attacks on shelters, hospitals, and schools. The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by systematic obstructions to aid deliveries, with only 8% of the required shelter supplies reaching Gaza (UNRWA, 2024). Media coverage plays a crucial role in documenting this destruction and alleged war crimes, emphasizing the importance of reliable information to understand the far-reaching consequences of these events be- yond Gaza and the West Bank. This paper aims to analyze the media rep- resentation of Israeli aggression against Palestine across four domestic media outlets: N1, Nova.rs, RTS, and Kurir. The analysis covers key events since Hamas’ initial attack on October 7, including the Gaza Strip invasion, the first ceasefire, Israel’s attacks on Yemen and the Iranian consulate in Syria, Iran’s response, the Israeli offensive on Rafah, the termination of US funding for UNRWA, South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel at the Interna- tional Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi, as well as the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s actions in occupied Palestinian territories. Using content analysis, the study examines how these media outlets report on the conflict, revealing differences in their portrayal of events and the extent to which they align with international perspectives. The theoretical framework is based on framing theory (Entman, 1993) and settler coloni- alism theory (Wolfe, 2006). This research aims to highlight potential biases, hidden narratives, and interpretations that shape public understanding of this complex geopolitical situation and humanitarian disaster.

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