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| Illustration provided by DigitalRalph. |
With dueling Twitter hashtags, Facebook posts and YouTube channels, the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, are trading not just fire but also barbs over social media, in an attempt to win hearts and minds around the world. But Hamas, barred from certain platforms, faces additional challenges in the Internet war.
In this round of violence, the social media battle has become increasingly important. Israel’s ability to wage its campaign in Gaza depends on the level of international criticism it sustains. Public opinion in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East could determine whether the conflict drags on or is brought to a halt.
On Wednesday, Twitter suspended several accounts used by Hamas on Wednesday. One page, used by the organization's military-wing, Al Qassam Brigades (@qassamfeed), drew 15,000 followers. Tweets from @qassamfeed have been embedded and quoted in many Western news reports, including those filed by the BBC and The Guardian.
The link to @qassamfeed now reads, “Account suspended. The profile you are trying to read has been suspended.” (Here's a cached version of the account).
Twitter’s terms of service block use of the website to “a person barred from receiving services under the laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdiction.” Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the State Department, denying it access to American commercial products.
A Twitter spokesman defended the removal in an e-mail, writing that the company could not comment on specific accounts due to “privacy and security reasons,” but provided a link to its company policies, which lists the “violations that can lead to account suspension.”
The social network has previously shut down Hamas accounts, notably in 2012 during the last bout of Israel-Gaza fighting.
Facebook maintains a similar policy, and has deleted dozens of Hamas accounts due to American government restrictions.
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