Meta bans Palestinian journalist’s Instagram account with 1.2 million followers

Meta has banned the Instagram account of Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif, which had 1.2 million followers and served as a vital source for stories from Gaza amid the communication blackout during the ongoing Israeli genocide.

Journalist Anas Al-Sharif shared a video on his new Instagram account, asking his followers to join it after Meta removed his previous account.

“Despite this campaign and despite the shutdown, we will continue our news coverage, delivering the images and messages regardless of the circumstances we face,” he said.

Meta has come under intense criticism for censoring content emerging from Gaza and issuing warnings to accounts that frequently share such content.

Recently, an AJ+ investigation revealed that Meta labeled journalist Motaz Azaiza’s videos from Gaza as "pornographic." Azaiza’s Facebook account was suspended in March 2024, raising concerns among activists that Meta may be deliberately attempting to silence Palestinian voices.

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a document alleging that six Al Jazeera journalists working in Gaza, including Anas Al-Sharif, have links to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.