Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, apologized on Tuesday after removing posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim concerning the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The posts were taken down due to what Meta referred to as an “operational error.” Anwar’s office called on Meta representatives to explain the removal, which included a video of the prime minister expressing condolences via phone call and an Instagram note linking the content to “dangerous individuals and organizations.”
Meta has since restored the posts and re-labeled them with appropriate newsworthy tags. The removal faced criticism from Anwar’s office, which labeled it a “blatant suppression of free expression.” The prime minister previously accused Meta of “cowardice” following the deletion.
This incident comes in the wake of Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran, which has been attributed to Israel, though the country has not directly addressed the issue. Both Israel, the United States, and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar earlier this year, has defended Malaysia’s ties with Hamas, stating that the country engages with the group’s political wing rather than its military faction.
