Communication in the post-truth era: U.S. digital diplomacy in the Israel-Hamas conflict

The international relations system of the twenty-first century has been experiencing the transformation of diplomatic communication not merely as a technical innovation but also as a reconfiguration of global power relations. Digitalization has fundamentally altered states' patterns of behavior, legitimacy strategies, and discourses in the international arena; diplomacy has evolved into an interactive space shaped not only by intergovernmental negotiations but also by global public opinion. In the post-truth era, where disinformation and manipulation intensify within international communication environments, the impact of digital diplomacy discourses on political crises has gained increasing significance. In this context, this study aims to examine the digital diplomacy activities of the United States during the period between the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023, and the U.S. presidential election held on November 5, 2024. The analysis focuses on official website content and X (formerly Twitter) posts of key actors representing U.S. digital diplomacy, including U.S. President Joe Biden, the White House, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the United States Central Command. In addition, statements and actions by the press, United Nations-affiliated or coordinated organizations, and the International Criminal Court were analyzed and comparatively assessed against U.S. government discourses. This multi-actor approach seeks to provide a holistic perspective on how digital diplomacy is shaped by global norms or contributes to their transformation. The data collection process was supported by the compilation of 7,629 official documents published by the U.S. government, 12,076 posts obtained from the X platform, and the analysis of 16,580 press questions directed at the U.S. government. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study utilizes critical discourse analysis to examine actors' rhetorical strategies and ideological positions, while quantitative content analysis measures the frequency of key concepts and the intensity of discourses related to the parties involved.