YouTube deletes 700+ videos documenting 'Israeli' war crimes in Palestine: Report

• YouTube deleted 700+ videos from three Palestinian human rights groups.
• Videos documented alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.

YouTube has quietly removed more than 700 videos and shut down the accounts of three major Palestinian human rights organizations, according to a report by The Intercept.

The move comes as part of a US government effort to limit accountability for 'Israeli' war crimes in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The affected channels belonged to Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), all of which regularly published footage documenting violations of international law by 'Israel'.

Footage of Atrocities Wipe

One of the videos deleted was a documentary showing mothers surviving 'Israel’s' attacks in Gaza, another was an investigation into 'Israel’s' role in the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Many videos covering 'Israeli' destruction of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank were also deleted. 

In early October, YouTube removed the groups’ channels, erasing not only current content but the archives of past videos. The accounts’ termination deprived the organizations of crucial platforms for sharing evidence of human rights abuses.

US Sanctions Drive the Deletions

The purge followed a campaign by the Trump administration targeting these organizations for their work with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC had issued arrest warrants for 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. In retaliation, the Trump administration sanctioned ICC officials and organizations collaborating with the court.

“YouTube is furthering the Trump administration’s agenda to remove evidence of human rights violations and war crimes,” said Katherine Gallagher, senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, in an interview with The Intercept.

YouTube confirmed to The Intercept that the deletions were a direct response to US State Department sanctions. A YouTube spokesperson stated, “Google is committed to compliance with applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws.”

Reactions from Palestinian Organizations

Al Mezan, based in Gaza, reported its channel was terminated on October 7 without prior notice. “Terminating the channel deprives us from reaching the audience we aspire to share our message with,” a spokesperson said.

Al-Haq, based in the West Bank, had its channel deleted on October 3 with a message claiming the content violated YouTube guidelines. The organization called the removal “a serious failure of principle and an alarming setback for human rights and freedom of expression.”

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the oldest human rights organization in Gaza according to the U.N., described the deletion as “protecting perpetrators from accountability.”

Videos Documenting War Crimes

According to The Intercept, the wiped content spanned hundreds of videos, including: Documentaries such as “The Beach”, highlighting children killed by 'Israeli' strikes.
Some videos remain accessible via the Internet Archive or alternative platforms like Facebook and Vimeo. However, the organizations fear that US-based platforms could continue targeting their content.

Al-Haq is exploring hosting content outside of US companies to preserve its work.