A human rights organization based in Gaza, which previously had ties to Hamas, has launched a program to train young Palestinians in editing Wikipedia articles related to Israel and the Gaza conflict. This initiative has raised alarms due to the potential political bias of one of the world’s most prominent information resources.

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor announced the start of the third phase of its WikiRights program in the Gaza Strip. As part of this project, 12 young men and women are being trained in human rights and Wikipedia editing skills in both Arabic and English.

According to the organization, the main goal of the program is to help participants create and update online content about the conflict based on “documented evidence” from Gaza. The current phase, Euro-Med claims, focuses on what they refer to as the “Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.” Participants are expected to add new articles to Wikipedia, drawing on “living testimonies” from local residents.

Anas Jerjawi, the Chief Operating Officer of Euro-Med, stated, “Training youth to edit Wikipedia aims to transform victims in Gaza from faceless statistics into narrators of their own stories.” He added that in an environment where online platforms are allegedly spreading misinformation, it is crucial to “empower youth to publish accurate facts and document Israel’s crimes.”

Euro-Med’s activities have previously faced criticism due to alleged connections with Hamas. The current and former chairpersons of the organization, Mazen Kachel and Rami Abdu, were mentioned in a list of “key operatives and structures of Hamas in Europe” released by Israel in 2013. The founder of the organization, Rami Abdu, has also been linked to other groups with ties to Hamas, including the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza and the Council for European Palestinian Relations. In 2020, Israel imposed sanctions on Abdu under anti-terrorism legislation.

According to NGO Monitor, Euro-Med regularly accuses Israel of “genocide,” “apartheid,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “war crimes,” while also spreading conspiracy theories and defamation. It has been noted that some staff members openly express support for Hamas or its representatives.

Wikipedia has repeatedly come under fire from researchers and media observers for the editing of articles related to Israel. Concerns have been raised regarding coordinated activist efforts that could influence the wording and emphasis in materials about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.