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Congress members ask FBI to shut down Hamas Twitter account

Congress members ask FBI to shut down Hamas Twitter account

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alqassam brigades twitter hamas

Seven House Republicans have called for Twitter to take down the accounts of "US-designated terrorist groups." Led by Texas Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX), the lawmakers sent the request in a letter to the FBI back in September, and earlier this week said that recent events have vindicated their actions. "Allowing foreign terrorist organizations like Hamas to operate on Twitter is enabling the enemy," Poe told The Hill, adding that Twitter "arms them with the ability to freely spread their violent propaganda and mobilize in their war on Israel."

During the conflict, both the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas' military arm heavily utilized Twitter and other social networks, even going so far as to exchange threatening tweets. However, the congress members' concerns seem to relate more to a potential threat to the US and its allies than the broader issue of using social media for propaganda purposes. When asked for comment, the FBI said it was considering its response internally and would respond to the letter directly.