Meta Apologizes for Removing Malaysian PM's Posts on Hamas Leader

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, issued an apology on Tuesday for removing posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The apology followed a summons from Anwar's office, demanding an explanation for the removal of his posts.

Meta acknowledged the error, stating, "We apologize for an operational error where content from the Prime Minister’s Facebook and Instagram Pages were removed. The content has since been restored with the correct newsworthy label."

Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed in Tehran, Iran, in an attack attributed to Israel, which has not commented on the incident. Anwar's posts included a video of him offering condolences to a Hamas official over the phone. Meta initially removed the posts, citing association with "dangerous individuals and organizations."

Anwar's office condemned the removal as "a blatant suppression of free expression" and demanded an apology from Meta. Anwar also criticized the tech giant for "cowardice" in removing his posts.

Israel, the United States, and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has defended Malaysia's ties with Hamas, emphasizing that their relationship is with the group's political wing, not its military arm.