Twitter Suspends Hezbollah and Hamas-Related Accounts
Hezbollah’s television station Al-Manar said on Saturday that most of the Twitter accounts associated with the station have been suspended.
The accounts in English, French and Spanish were said to be suspended, but the Twitter handles of specific television shows seemed to be working, AFP reported.
“There is no place on Twitter for illegal terrorist organizations and violent extremist groups,” a Twitter spokesperson told AFP.
Meanwhile, reported JTA, Twitter also suspended Hamas-affiliated accounts in English and Arabic.
“Kudos to Twitter for suspending the accounts of terror groups #Hezbollah and #Hamas. Internationally recognized terror groups should never have a platform for their violent extremism,” Jonathan Conricus, international spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces tweeted.
Twitter’s move came more than a week after four members of the US House of Representatives called out the website for allowing Hamas and Hezbollah to maintain a presence on its social media platform, though it is unclear whether that call had anything to do with Saturday’s move.
Twitter has suspended controversial accounts in the past. Earlier this year, the social network temporarily banned an account connected to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for posting a message threatening author Salman Rushdie. Iran is the chief sponsor of Hezbollah and has also funded Hamas.
Last year, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Twitter of closing accounts of “real” Iranians, while failing to shut down anti-government ones backed by the United States.
