Twitter Shuts Down Hamas Military Wing Account

Jerusalem, 29 March, 2016 (TPS) -- The Arabic-language Twitter account of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, was abruptly suspended on Monday, March 28, according to a statement posted on the Palestinian terror group’s website. Their official English-language account was closed two weeks earlier, on March 15.

Twitter acted following “pressure exerted by Zionist groups,” according to the former manager of the al-Qassam account, as quoted in the Arabic statement. (The statement posted on the English website omits that accusation.)

The now-defunct Twitter account had over 140,000 followers, the statement said. A new account opened by the group already has 45,000 followers.

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades is the military wing of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

On Sunday, March 27, the group’s official Hebrew-language Twitter page celebrated the 14th anniversary of the Passover massacre, in which a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 30 Israelis and injured dozens more as they sat down for the Seder in Netanya’s Park Hotel. Hamas claimed responsibility for the terror attack.