UPDATE: Both al-'Itisaam Foundation and al-Hayat Media Center’s accounts have been taken off of Quitter. Remaining on both pages is a world peace-promoting artwork, quote by Mahatma Gandhi, and link to ebooks by the figure.

UPDATE: As of August 20, 2014, all Islamic State accounts on Diaspora have also been taken down. 

Islamic State (IS) media accounts on the new Friendica social media platform were taken down over the weekend in what IS supporters have interpreted as a cyber-attack. This comes only three days after SITE Intel Director Rita Katz reported on and analyzed the group’s temporary migration to the site.

In an unexpected move, media outlets of the Islamic State (IS) have announced that they will be suspending Twitter posts for an unspecified amount of time as the group has moved to a different social media outlet. The Twitter account of al-Battar Media, an Arabic-language group dedicated to promoting IS propaganda, declared in a July 12, 2014 tweet that select IS groups would resort to a European server of the social network Friendica, stating:

 

Since the declaration of the Caliphate by the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS)—now named the Islamic State (IS)—many jihadist groups have taken a position either for or against the new entity. Online and through public statements, there has also been a great deal of debate among influential members of the jihadist community over the entire issue. One organization has, however, been noticeable for its absence in the debate: al-Qaeda’s (AQ) high command.

As rocket fire from Hamas to Israel escalates, so do the claims from various jihadi groups in the area. Following the launch of a recent military operation in Gaza, more than half a dozen jihadi groups—either affiliated with al-Qaeda (AQ) or the Islamic State (IS)—have been flooding the internet with threats against Israel and claims of firing rockets at Israel as if they were the ones leading the war, and not Hamas.