Meta takes down largest Palestinian page ‘Quds News Network’

WEB DESK: In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip, Meta has taken down the largest Palestinian news page from Facebook.

The Quds News Network (QNN) reported on X, formerly known as Twitter, that its Arabic and English news pages were removed from Facebook, describing the action as “complete alignment with the Israeli occupation government.”

QNN, which claims to have had 10 million followers on Facebook, asserted that Meta yielded to Israel’s request to remove the Quds News Network, characterising the move as a clear example of bias in favor of Israeli demands.

Quds News Network condemns Meta's complete alignment with the Israeli occupation government and its continuous targeting and restriction of the Palestinian content.

This has culminated in the removal of the English and Arabic pages of Quds News Network on Facebook, the largest… pic.twitter.com/LF3A7UCva5

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 14, 2023

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In its statement, QNN revealed that, despite complying with Meta’s defined media standards, the parent company of Facebook had previously deleted posts, issued warnings, and imposed restrictions on the news network.

Operating for over a decade on various social media platforms, QNN gained increased popularity amid the recent conflict initiated by Israel in response to actions by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. The conflict has resulted in more than 2,260 casualties and thousands of injuries in Gaza, a densely populated enclave housing 2.3 million Palestinians.

QNN condemned Meta’s decision to delete its page as a violation of freedom of opinion and expression, arguing that it deprived Palestinians of their right to convey and cover events in Gaza for a global audience.