Israel’s Militarization of Studio Ghibli Trend: Between Reality and Fantasy
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israel’s military is facing online backlash after posting AI-generated images of its operations in the style of the Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, a trend that has gone viral in recent days. The Israeli images emerged amid relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinian civilians.
On Sunday, the Israeli military posted the images on its official X account, showing scenes of soldiers under the Israeli flag, its navy and air force, with the caption “we thought we’d also hop on the Ghibli trend”.
We thought we’d also hop on the Ghibli trend. pic.twitter.com/fdmUfn3o4o
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 30, 2025
A backlash quickly emerged in the comments.
One user commented with an image referencing the Israeli assault in Gaza, where more than 50,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 2023. That comment depicted two soldiers pointing weapons at a woman and children amid the ruins of buildings.
More like pic.twitter.com/d2k0IyHldA
— Dark Mode (@scottiev) March 30, 2025
Another posted an image of Israeli forces holding up women’s clothing in a ruined building, an apparent reference to mocking social media posts by Israeli soldiers in which they parade in women’s clothes found during raids on Palestinian homes.
— CORONEL SIQUEIRA 🇺🇦❓ 🇷🇺❓ (@direitasiqueira) March 31, 2025
Another posted an image of Abu Ubaida, the Qassam Brigades Spokesperson, Hamas’s military wing.
This is a better one. pic.twitter.com/VXWOTtG8EQ
— atk15 (@atk_eth) March 30, 2025
“The land is ours,” another commented, sharing an image of a well-known elderly Palestinian man standing in front of an Israeli tank, holding the Palestinian flag.
The land is ours, and we will get it back sooner or later pic.twitter.com/TySWKbnR9h
— WebIris | J° (@WebIris) March 31, 2025
Meanwhile, Palestinians also joined the trend, with some sharing images of people and places in Gaza during the Israeli assault, while others posted images symbolizing hope and liberation.
