Israel chose Twitter to make the first official announcement of the airstrike that killed a leading Hamas official in Gaza. This could mark the first time that official news of a war operation has been divulged on the micro-blogging social network before any other media.
The target of the strike was Ahmed Said Khalil al-Jabari, the head of Hamas' military wing.
Avital Leibovich, Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) international press spokesperson, made the announcement at 7:17 AM eastern time.
#Breaking : the #IDF started an operation against terror organizations in#Gaza due to the ongoing attacks against #Israeli civilians— Avital Leibovich (@AvitalLeibovich) November 14, 2012
This tweet was then followed by another one by the official IDF Twitter account, 12 minutes later.
The IDF has begun a widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the #Gaza Strip, chief among them #Hamas & Islamic Jihad targets.— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012
The IDF didn't have a press release on their website until an hour later, when they published an announcement explaining that there was an operation under way in the Gaza strip. Capt. Eytan Buchman, the head IDF spokesperson for North America, said the decision to post to Twitter vs. talking to reporters was "a break neck race."
"As people were making the first phone calls to reporters, other people were tweeting," Buchman said. "I think Cast Lead, four years ago really drove home the point of how effective and how efficient social media can be. ... I think it's really proving its worth right now."
The IDF also published a short YouTube video of the airstrike.
The main IDF Twitter account also posted messages indicating that further operations could be planned.
We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012
All options are on the table. If necessary, the IDF is ready to initiate a ground operation in Gaza.— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012
Mashable composite. Photo courtesy iStockphoto, pawel.gaul.