YouTube, owned by Google, has deleted over 700 videos that documented Israeli violence in Palestine. The removals came after the platform took down the accounts of three major Palestinian human rights organisations — Al-Haq, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).

 These groups had submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which later issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The move followed sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, which targeted ICC officials and organisations cooperating with the court. Critics say YouTube’s compliance with these sanctions enables Israel to erase critical evidence.

 “It is outrageous that YouTube is helping remove proof of human rights violations,” said Katherine Gallagher, a senior attorney at the Centre for Constitutional Rights.

The deletions wiped out investigations, testimonies of torture, and documentaries such as The Beach, which told the story of children killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. A spokesperson for Al-Haq called the removal a “serious failure of principle.” Basel al-Sourani from PCHR said it silences Palestinian victims.

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YouTube confirmed the deletions, citing adherence to trade and sanctions laws. While some archived videos remain on other platforms, a large part of the visual record is lost — a major setback for transparency and justice in documenting the Israel-Palestine conflict.