In a surprise attack Hamas militants have broken into Israel, overrunning several areas and killing at least 150 Israelis. Most of those who appear to have been killed are civilians, with plentiful videos on social media sites showing Hamas militants indiscriminately executing any Israeli they find — civilian or other. Others show them desecrating corpses, including at least one female Israeli civilian, and taking Israeli civilians as prisoners.

In return Israel has declared itself at war, launching airstrikes which have killed 230 or more Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A heady mix of cordite, blood and rumour is spreading across social media. While Israel is hardly a blameless participant in the long-running conflict, its own ill-behaviour bears no comparison to Hamas here: the bare-faced murder of civilians on the street, the taking of civilian hostages, and apparent rape.

Despite that, there have been plenty who have celebrated the actions of Hamas. In Baghdad buildings are decorated with the Palestinian flag. There are also celebrations in Turkey and Bahrain. That isn’t all though: there are celebrations in London too and in Berlin, where they handed out sweets to celebrate what Hamas was doing. Even in refugee camps, where they are waiting to get into Europe, there were celebrations. What fine neighbours they will make in future.

It would be nice to imagine this was just brute tribalism among their co-religionists. Yet there is also plenty of evidence that their Western allies are happy to play down the brutality of the crimes taking place. Take Double Down News, which within the last two months has featured Guardian columnists like Gary Younge and George Monbiot. DDN reacted by posting a video of activist Andrew Feinstein, asking why it isn’t “noble and right” for Palestinians to “defend themselves” if it is for the Ukrainians to do so.