Digital Erasure After Martyrdom: Instagram Removes Salih Al-Jafarawi’s Account

October 14, 2025 – Palestine – 

Instagram has removed the account of slain Palestinian journalist Saleh Al-Jafarawi, which boasted about 4.5 million followers. The deletion extends beyond the account itself: archived snapshots on the Wayback Machine appear to have been disabled, raising fears that efforts are underway to erase public records of his work.

Al-Jafarawi was reportedly killed on October 12 while covering clashes involving militias in Gaza during a fragile ceasefire. His death and the account removal together have provoked alarm among media watchers, who warn that silencing digital footprints of journalists undermines documentation, accountability, and historical memory.

Observers see this as a stark example of digital suppression in conflict zones: beyond physical violence, the removal of a journalist’s platform—and the disabling of archival backups—can stifle evidence of suffering, reportage, and dissent. The move has been characterized by some as a continuation of the assault on press freedoms, now taking place in the virtual space.

Critics have demanded that platforms like Instagram and its parent company, Meta, be transparent about the decision to remove the account and clarify whether it was an automated measure or carried out deliberately. Questions mount over whether policies are being applied selectively, particularly in cases involving high-profile figures in contested zones.

In the broader context, the deletion arrives amid reports that Al-Jafarawi’s account had already faced suspension earlier in 2025, forcing him to use backup accounts. The timing—immediately following his killing—has intensified scrutiny and demands from press organizations and rights defenders to restore access, preserve archives, and resist further digital erasure of Palestinian voices.

This case underscores the intersection of physical violence and digital control in contemporary conflicts. When a journalist is killed and then erased from the online record, the risk extends beyond silencing a single voice — it threatens the visibility of a whole narrative.

Reference – 

https://www.trtworld.com/article/365254e07c54

https://www.siasat.com/instagram-removes-slain-journalist-saleh-al-jafarawis-account-3283047/