Meta - the parent company of Facebook and Instagram - issued an apology on Tuesday after removing social media posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The posts were deleted due to what Meta described as an "operational error."
Anwar's office had summoned Meta representatives to explain the removal of the posts, which included a video of the prime minister offering condolences via phone call and an Instagram note linking the content to "dangerous individuals and organisations."
Meta has since restored the posts and re-labeled them with appropriate newsworthy tags.
The removal sparked criticism from Anwar's office, which described it as "a blatant suppression of free expression." The premier had previously accused Meta of "cowardice" in response to the deletion.
The incident follows the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel, which has not directly addressed the matter. Israel, the United States, and the European Union classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar earlier this year, has defended Malaysia's relations with Hamas, emphasizing that the country's connections are with the group's political wing rather than its military arm.
