Beyond Bullets and Bombs: The Rise of Narrative as a Weapon in Conflicts

Strategic influence and psychological warfare 

Wars aren't won in trenches anymore—they're live-streamed and rebranded in real time.

Warfare in the 21st century has moved beyond battlefields into the realm of perception and belief. While tanks cross borders and drones patrol contested skies, an equally critical front opens—on screens, in headlines, across social media, and within minds. Narrative-building, disinformation, and misinformation are no longer peripheral—they are central tools of strategic influence and psychological warfare (Prier, J., 2017) (Rid, T. , 2020). These tactics shape public opinion, delegitimise adversaries, and sway political outcomes both domestically and globally.

However, this is not a new phenomenon. The Bhāratīya civilization has long recognized the power of narrative in conflict resolution. The Mahabharata’s Kurukshetra War contains numerous examples of misinformation and disinformation strategically deployed in battle (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024) which serves as a Framework for understanding contemporary narrative, misinformation and disinformation warfare.

This essay explores the Israel–Palestine conflict, focusing on the October 7, 2023, escalation following Hamas’s attack on Israel, as a case study in modern information warfare (BBC, 2023a) (RAND Corporation, 2023). In this conflict, control over narrative has proven to be as consequential as military force, shaping global perception and the conflict’s trajectory (Wilson Centre, 2023). By drawing parallels with Vedic thought, this analysis adds a deeper layer of reflection: how ancient insights into truth, illusion, and dharma illuminate the moral and strategic dimensions of narrative warfare today.

Narrative Building as a Battle for Dharma

Ethical ambiguity in warfare is a timeless reality. In the Mahābhārata, the Kurukshetra War was not merely a clash of armies but a collision of ideologies & worldviews. At its core was the notion of Dharma Yuddha—a righteous war. Both sides invoked Dharma, but each defined it in their favour, revealing how narrative became a weapon as potent as the sword (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024). The table below maps key elements of this narrative battle.

Table 1: Competing Narratives – Pandava vs. Kaurava during Mahābhārata War  

No.	Narrative Component	Pandava’s Narrative	Kaurava’s Narrative
1	Claim to Land/Legitimacy	Pandavas claims their rightful share of the kingdom based on dharma, birthright, and the game of dice being unjust and coerced. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)	Kauravas argue they are the de facto rulers, with Duryodhana asserting that the kingdom was won fairly through dice and maintained through strength. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)
2	Identity and Victimhood	Pandavas presents themselves as wronged exiles, humiliated and dishonoured, forced to fight for dignity and justice. (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)	Kauravas claim they are defending the throne against a rebellious faction that is jealous and unwilling to accept their defeat. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)
3	Public/Political Perception	Viewed by many allies (like Drupada, Virata) as legitimate heirs and restorers of moral order. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)	Retain loyalty of powerful allies (like Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa) who frame them as protectors of Hastinapura’s sovereignty. (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024)
4	Global Perception (Allies/Neutrals)	Gain sympathy from figures like Kṛṣṇa, who justify their war as necessary for upholding dharma. (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)	Maintain perception of authority among some royal houses; claim they are protecting stability. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)
5	Religious/Spiritual Framing	Kṛṣṇa guides Arjuna to view the war as a divine duty—action without attachment, to restore balance. (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)	Duryodhana dismisses moral guilt and believes in destiny and strength (daiva and śakti) as the basis for rule. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)
6	Dharma Yuddha Framing	Assert that their war is sanctioned by Dharma and guided by divine will, with rules of war generally upheld. (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024)	Justify use of all means—including deceit—as necessary under the doctrine of political realism (nīti). (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)

Israel vs. Hamas/Palestine conflict mirrors these ancient dynamics. Narrative-building today is not an accessory to warfare—it is warfare. The table below adapts the Mahābhārata-based framework to analyse how Israel and Hamas/Palestine build competing narratives.

Table 2: Competing Narratives – Israel vs. Hamas/Palestine 

No.	Narrative Component	Israel's Narrative	Hamas/Palestinian Narrative
1	Claim to Land/Legitimacy	Historical and religious claim to ancestral homeland; legal foundation via UN Partition 1947 (Ben-Porat, G., 2008) (UNGA, 1947).	Continuous indigenous presence; dispossession through settler colonialism and forced displacement (Said, E. W. , 1979) (Khalidi, R., 2020).
2	Identity and Victimhood	Identity rooted in survivalism post-Holocaust; global antisemitism as enduring threat (Segev, T., 2000) (Lipstadt, D., 2019).	Victimhood tied to colonial trauma (Nakba), occupation, and ongoing displacement (Pappé, I., 2006) (Masalha, N., 2012).
3	International Media	Often receives favourable coverage in Western media; frames conflict through security and terrorism lens (Finkelstein, N. G., 2012).	Gains sympathy through visual suffering; accused of manipulating media to gain moral high ground (Gerhardt, L., 2023).
4	Global Perception	Perceived as powerful state actor with U.S. backing; increasingly criticized for disproportionate force (Mearsheimer, J. J., & Walt, S. M., 2007) (HRW, 2021).	Seen by many as oppressed; also branded as terrorist-linked, leading to polarized perceptions (Baconi, T., 2018).
5	Religious Framing	Promised Land narrative (Torah); existential imperative for Jewish preservation in Eretz Yisrael (Sacks, J., 2017).	Liberation theology in Islam; jihad against oppression; Al-Aqsa as a symbol of sacred resistance (Abu-Nimer, M., 2004).
6	Dharma Yuddha Framing	Sees itself in a righteous war to protect democracy, Jewish life, and global order from barbarism (Barak, 2023) (Efraim, 2023).	Frames itself as engaged in a sacred struggle (jihad) for justice, liberation, and human dignity (Abu Sway, 2009) (Roy, 2011).

What Narrative Warfare Has Achieved

In both the Mahābhārata and the Israel–Palestine conflict, narrative-building has not just influenced perception—it has shaped history. In the epic, it enabled the Pandavas to frame their war as morally sanctioned, drawing divine support and political legitimacy.

Likewise, in the Israel–Palestine conflict, narrative warfare has affected diplomacy, public opinion, and geopolitical alliances. Israel's alignment with Western liberal values has ensured enduring U.S. support, arms aid, and international legitimacy—even amid civilian casualties. Conversely, Palestine's narrative of dispossession and resistance has mobilised global protests, shaped UN resolutions, and drawn sympathy from the world. Narratives, then, are not abstractions—they are weapons.

Grey-zone ethics challenge us to ask when narrative-building becomes propaganda. All narratives are, to some degree, strategic and selective—but the ethical line is crossed when intent shifts from informing to manipulating. Transparency, accountability, and the capacity for critical engagement help distinguish legitimate storytelling from coercive influence.

Disinformation: The Modern Weapon of Maya

In Vedic philosophy, Maya is more than illusion—it is the deliberate distortion of reality. Rooted in Avidya (existential ignorance), it crafts a compelling falsehood that appears indistinguishable from truth. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes Maya as his divine power that deludes beings and conceals the real (Śrīmadbhagavadgītā | Gita Press, 2019). In modern warfare, disinformation functions similarly: it is crafted, strategic, and meant to obscure. The aim is not merely to lie but to blur the lines between truth and falsehood so completely that audiences no longer know what to believe.

Table 3: Examples of Disinformation in the Mahābhārata War 

No.	Claim	Type	Purpose/Intention
1	Aśvatthāmā is dead	Disinformation	Yudhishthira tells Drona that "Aśvatthāmā is dead," without clarifying it was an elephant—intended to break Drona’s will to fight. (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)
2	Śikhaṇḍī is a man	Disinformation	Śikhaṇḍī was born female and became male; Bhīṣma knew this but refused to fight him. Kṛṣṇa used this to mislead Bhīṣma in battle. (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024)
3	Killing of Karṇa when unarmed	Disinformation	Arjuna killed Karṇa while he tried to lift his chariot wheel, violating Kṣatriya codes—justified after the fact as a divine necessity. (Gita Press Mahābhārata, 2024)

These acts were not lies in the shallow sense—they were strategic ruptures of moral order, weaponised narratives that turned perception into power.

The same principles operate in the Israel–Palestine conflict, where disinformation blurs moral clarity and manipulates international sentiment. Below is a mapping of modern examples that function as Digital Avatars of Maya.

Table 4: Examples of Disinformation in the Israel-Palestine Conflict (2023–2024)

No.	Disinformation Claim	Details & Dissemination	Impact
1	Hamas Beheaded Babies Hoax	Israeli and U.S. officials, including President Biden, repeated unverified claims that Hamas beheaded babies after the October 7, 2023, attack. No forensic or independent evidence confirmed this (BBC, 2023a).	Intensified global outrage and moral panic, bolstered support for Israeli military operations, and shaped the conflict’s moral framing early on (BBC, 2023a).
2	False Gaza Images Shared by Celebrities	Justin Bieber and others posted photos of Gaza destruction, mistakenly claiming they showed damage in Israel—misleading millions on Instagram and Twitter (BBC., 2023b).	Muddied understanding of who was affected by violence, diverted attention from actual victims, and confused international observers (BBC., 2023b).
3	Al-Ahli Hospital Explosion Blame Game	After the hospital explosion, Hamas and Israel blamed each other. Israel released a video as "proof," but independent sources like The New York Times found timestamp inconsistencies (RAND Corporation, 2023).	Created confusion in international diplomacy, delayed aid, and caused credibility issues for both parties (RAND Corporation, 2023).

Disinformation in this conflict is not accidental—it is systemic. Like Maya, it reframes the narrative terrain, creating confusion so dense that clarity itself becomes radical. With Algorithms acting as modern Astras, these falsehoods spread not through whispers but through waves—retweets, shares, shadow bans. It influences foreign aid decisions, vetoes at the UN, public protests, and ceasefire demands. It can determine whether a bombing is framed as liberation or genocide, whether a leader is seen as a terrorist or freedom fighter.

Misinformation: The Power of Belief and Devotion (Bhakti)

Misinformation differs from disinformation in its intent—it is often spread not with malice but with conviction. It reflects the force of Bhakti—devotional belief—where individuals, driven by emotion and allegiance, share what they want to be true. In modern conflicts like Israel–Palestine, this has taken the form of viral videos, doctored images, and mis-contextualised posts—often circulated in good faith but rooted in falsehood.

This emotional engagement is a double-edged sword. Bhakti can inspire courage, solidarity, and action, but without Viveka (discernment), it risks becoming blind faith. Similarly, unchecked belief-driven misinformation can mislead public opinion, derail policy, and fuel polarising activism.

Table 5: Examples of Misinformation and Disinformation in the Mahābhārata War

No.	Claim	Type	Purpose/Intention
1	Arjuna is invincible	Misinformation	Repeated assertions that Arjuna was unbeatable created overconfidence, though he faced real risks and challenges. (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024)
2	Duryodhana is the rightful heir to the throne	Misinformation	Claimed by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and others but ignored dharma-based succession norms—pushed a false narrative of entitlement. (Udyoga Parva Mahābhārata, 2024)
3	Kṛṣṇa will not fight in the war	Misinformation	Though Kṛṣṇa vowed not to wield arms, his tactical moves—especially encouraging rule-bending—directly affected the war's outcome. (Bhīṣma Parva, Mahābhārata, 2024)

These narratives, though rooted in belief, created skewed expectations that impacted decision-making, alliances, and the war’s moral framing.

Table 6: Examples of Misinformation in the Israel-Palestine Conflict (2023–2024)

No.	Misinformation Claim	Details & Dissemination	Impact
1	"Israel only targets Hamas fighters"	Israeli government statements often emphasise precision targeting, yet investigations show high rates of civilian casualties, including UN staff and journalists (Amnesty International, 2024) (UN (OCHA), 2024).	Minimises global outrage, distorts casualty data, and impedes calls for ceasefire or restraint (UN (OCHA), 2024).
2	"Hamas uses all hospitals as shields"	While Hamas has been accused of operating from hospitals, evidence of this is inconsistent and has often been overstated or misinterpreted in media reports (The Guardian, 2023).	Fuels justification for strikes on medical facilities, risking war crimes and deterring humanitarian services (The Guardian, 2023).
3	"The October 7 attack was unprovoked"	Framed in headlines without historical context—ignoring years of blockade, settlement expansion, and prior Israeli raids on Al-Aqsa and Gaza (Human Rights Watch, 2023).	Shapes global sympathy by framing Israel solely as a victim, erasing structural provocations (Human Rights Watch, 2023).

These myths, repeated often enough, become emotionally charged “truths,” driving political choices and public sentiment. Misinformation does not just distort facts—it reshapes narratives, redefines heroes and villains, and rewrites history in real-time.

Conclusion: Hybrid Warfare and the Collapse of Binary Thinking

The myth of clean divisions—between hard and soft power, fact and fiction, civilian and combatant—is collapsing. Hybrid warfare blurs these boundaries, merging missiles with memes and soldiers with servers. In this new landscape, a data breach can be as devastating as a drone strike. A viral falsehood can do what bombs often cannot: alter global sentiment, rewire memory, and recast legitimacy.

In the era of hybrid warfare, journalists, digital activists, and policymakers confront profound ethical dilemmas as truth, security, and free expression intersect. Navigating disinformation, covert influence, and digital surveillance demands more than technical responses—it requires a renewed moral compass. Reflecting on their roles in shaping public understanding and democratic resilience invites a deeper engagement with justice, accountability, and the ethical boundaries of power.

Traditional doctrine, rooted in territorial defence and kinetic might, is now insufficient. Addressing today’s conflicts calls for coordination across multiple fronts: cybersecurity, public diplomacy, mental resilience, and the digital skills of citizens. The Vedic symbol of the Vajra—at once thunderbolt and wisdom—captures the essence of what modern defence must become: decisive yet discerning, forceful yet conscious.

 

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