DaysofPal- YouTube has come under fire for removing hundreds of videos documenting alleged Israeli violations of international law in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from Palestinian and international human rights advocates.
According to a report by The Intercept, the platform deleted more than 700 videos and permanently removed the official accounts of Al-Haq, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), three of the most prominent legal and documentation organizations in Palestine.
The deleted material reportedly included footage of Israeli airstrikes on civilian areas, attacks on medical facilities, and the killing of unarmed Palestinians, which had been used as evidence in reports submitted to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Al-Haq and other affected organizations condemned YouTube’s decision as “an assault on truth and accountability.”
In a joint statement, they said the removed videos contained “irreplaceable evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” and accused YouTube of silencing Palestinian voices under pressure from political lobbying.
Human rights observers warn that the mass removal could severely undermine international investigations into alleged Israeli atrocities.
“These videos are not just social media content; they are crucial documentation of human suffering and state violence,” said a representative of Amnesty International, urging YouTube to restore the accounts and adopt transparent moderation policies for conflict-related material.
Digital rights experts have long accused major platforms of applying biased content moderation against Palestinians.
Reports by WIRED and Human Rights Watch indicate that posts documenting Israeli attacks are frequently restricted, flagged, or deleted, while comparable content from Israeli sources often remains online.
YouTube has not publicly explained the specific reasons behind the deletions, but is believed to have cited violations of its “violent and graphic content” or “terrorism-related” policies, criteria rights groups say are inconsistently enforced.
The affected organizations say they have filed formal appeals and are working to recover their archives. “Erasing these videos is erasing evidence,” said a spokesperson for Al Mezan.
He added that “History will judge those who helped conceal the crimes of this war.”
Advocates are now calling on the United Nations, the European Union, and digital rights watchdogs to pressure YouTube and its parent company, Google, to reinstate the deleted content and ensure that evidence of war crimes remains accessible to investigators, journalists, and the public.
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