Palestinians burn tires as they protest by the fence on the border between Gaza and Israel, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, June 8, 2018. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

JNS.org – Israel’s Ministry of Strategic Affairs led a group of more than 30 pro-Israel social-media professionals on Tuesday on a guided tour in English of the Israel-Gaza border region.

The goal was to showcase the vast agricultural and environmental damage inflicted by Hamas in the area over the past several months through the use of incendiary devices, so that the activists could share the realities of the situation with their combined millions of social-media followers.

Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Gilad Erdan participated in the tour and stressed to the group how important it was that “we must all work together to spread and to show the world what Israel is facing, and what the citizens of this area are facing every day.”

Erdan explained how Hamas is using public diplomacy to win over world opinion in portraying themselves as peaceful protestors. “But we know the truth,” said Erdan, adding that Hamas and their supporters have launched more than 1,000 arson attacks.

The terror group has utilized fire-bomb kites, balloons and other devices, torching thousands of dunam of Israeli fields, forests and nature preserves over the past several months.

Erdan said that more needs to be done to expose the true face of Hamas, showing the world that they are a true terror organization, committed to attacking the citizens of the State of Israel.

The group was given a firsthand look at the vast damaged areas and were shown a retrieved terror kite, which included threats against Israel by Hamas. The trip also included briefings from the head of Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority, local firefighters who have been battling the blazes and residents of the region.