YouTube Removes Hundreds of Videos Alleging Israeli War Crimes
YouTube has reportedly deleted over 700 clips documenting alleged Israeli abuses in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the American non-profit news outlet The Intercept. The platform cited compliance with U.S. sanctions against Palestinian NGOs that were sanctioned for submitting evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli leaders. The videos include eyewitness accounts, investigative reports, and humanitarian footage, raising concerns about censorship and freedom of speech.
Since October, YouTube has reportedly deleted more than 700 videos and suspended the accounts of prominent Palestinian human-rights groups including Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. The deleted materials reportedly included an investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces, footage of home demolitions in the West Bank, and a documentary about mothers who survived Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The Intercept described the removals as part of a broader U.S.-backed effort to suppress documentation of alleged Israeli war crimes. The same Palestinian organizations targeted by YouTube were sanctioned by Washington in September for submitting evidence to the ICC against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC issued arrest warrants for both officials in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
A YouTube spokesperson, Boot Bullwinkle, told The Intercept that Google is committed to compliance with applicable sanctions. The removals come amid Washington’s military and diplomatic support for Israel during the Gaza conflict. The U.S. has provided additional arms to Israel and repeatedly blocked UN resolutions calling for cease-fires and condemning civilian casualties. Critics argue that such moves shielded Israel from accountability and weakened international efforts to end the violence.
These removals have sparked criticism over censorship and freedom of speech, especially in the context of the broader debate on how U.S. agencies are pressuring tech companies to suppress disfavored opinions under the guise of combating misinformation. The Murthy v. Missouri case, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2024, left unresolved whether such government-platform coordination violates constitutional rights.
The latest violence started when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to Hamas-controlled Gaza health authorities, over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed since. This context underscores the gravity and complexity of the situation, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis and the role of international actors in shaping the narrative and response to the conflict.