True: Instagram and Twitter removed Palestinian posts reporting evictions in East Jerusalem.

By: Pallavi Sethi
May 19 2021

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The social media platforms admitted to deleting posts on evictions in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, but said this was due to a technical glitch.Palestinian activists have accused Instagram and Twitter of censoring their accounts by deleting posts relating to evictions by Israeli authorities in East Jerusalem. Both Twitter and Instagram admitted to removing posts relating to Sheikh Jarrah. However, Instagram said the issue was due to a "global technical" glitch that was "not related to any particular topic." According to AlJazeera, 7amleh and other digital rights groups said that there must be "transparent and clear" moderation policies in place when posts are removed. Instagram and Twitter said the accounts were “suspended in error by our automated systems” and the issue had been resolved and content reinstated. Israel is forcing dozens of Palestinian families to evict their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem. This has caused severe unrest in Jerusalem. On May 10, 2021, Israeli troops used grenades inside the Al Aqsa mosque, and in retaliation, Hamas, a militant group in the Gaza strip, responded by firing 1,600 rockets towards Israel. According to the most recent data, as of May 13, 80 people have died in Gaza, including 17 children. Seven people have died in Israel. 487 people have been injured in the conflict.