1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

YouTube deleted the channels of three major Palestinian human rights organizations in October—Al-Haq Foundation, Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Over 700 videos documenting alleged Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank vanished without warning: footage of civilian killings, home demolitions, and torture testimonies. YouTube claims US sanctions compliance, but this is political censorship disguised as legal obligation. This deletion destroys crucial evidence for international court proceedings, including cases before the International Criminal Court. The removal erased not just videos but essential metadata—upload dates, view counts, comments—breaking the chain of evidence needed for material to be admissible in court. Basel Sourani, legal adviser at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, said YouTube is "silencing victims and protecting perpetrators from accountability." This pattern is not new. YouTube has repeatedly deleted Palestinian content while leaving pro-Israeli material untouched, as confirmed by Wired and Access Now during the last Gaza war. The timing coincided with Trump administration sanctions targeting anyone cooperating in ICC investigations of Israeli officials. I need you to investigate this censorship and push for legislation that protects human rights documentation from deletion by US tech companies. Digital evidence of war crimes cannot be erased by administrative decisions. What safeguards will you support to prevent this?