Israel shuts off the television as Al Jazeera's headquarters is raided

Israel shuts off the television as Al Jazeera's headquarters is raided

Al Jazeera's activities in Israel have been shut down by the government, which regards the network as a mouthpiece for Hamas.

As long as the Gaza conflict is still going on, the cabinet approved the closure, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday, police searched the office of the Qatari broadcaster at the Jerusalem-based Ambassador hotel.

Claims that it poses a threat to Israeli security have been deemed a "dangerous and ridiculous lie" by Al Jazeera.

The station said that it will "pursue every legal step" in its discretion.

Shlomo Karhi, Israel's minister of communications, said that equipment was confiscated during the raid.

Police officers and ministry inspectors are seen entering a hotel room in a video that the minister uploaded on X.

When a BBC crew arrived on the scene, cops stopped them from recording or entering the hotel.

The Israeli satellite operator Yes reportedly showed the following message: "In accordance with the government decision, the Al Jazeera station's broadcasts have been stopped in Israel," according to the Reuters news agency.

But because Israel still has access to the channel via Facebook, the restriction is really only partially in place.

Several press and human rights organizations have criticized Al Jazeera's closure in Israel.

The Supreme Court of Israel has been asked to provide an interim order to lift the prohibition, according to a request made by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

The organization stated that the broadcaster's alleged role as a Hamas propaganda weapon was "unfounded" and that Sunday's suspension was more likely to "serve a more politically motivated agenda, aimed at silencing critical voices and targeting Arab media" than it was to address security issues.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) expressed concern that the closure of Al Jazeera in Israel should be "a cause for concern for all supporters of a free press" and encouraged the Israeli government to reevaluate its decision.

In a statement, the FPA said that Israel had joined "a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station" and issued a warning, claiming that Mr. Netanyahu is entitled to target other foreign media that he believes to be "acting against the state".

Similar worries were expressed by Carlos Martinez de la Serna, Program Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), who stated: "The Israeli cabinet must allow Al Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime."

Additionally, the UN Human Rights office called on the Israeli government to lift the ban, stating on X that "openness and accountability rely on a free and independent media. Particularly now that there are severe limitations on reporting from Gaza.

Since it is forbidden for foreign journalists to visit Gaza, Al Jazeera employees have been among the few reporters present there.

Israeli authorities have been accusing the network of anti-Israeli bias for years.

Since the Hamas assaults in southern Israel on October 7, when over 250 people were held hostage and 1,200 people were murdered, their criticism of the broadcaster has been more intense. Of those hostages, 128 are still missing, and at least 34 are thought to be dead.

According to the health ministry headed by Hamas, Israel's ensuing military operation in Gaza has resulted in at least 34,683 Palestinian deaths and 78,018 injuries.

A bill authorizing the government to temporarily shut down foreign stations deemed a danger to national security during the fight against Hamas was enacted by the Israeli Knesset last month.

The home base of Al Jazeera, Qatar, is mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the crisis, which has lasted for almost seven months.

A short truce and the release of 105 Israeli captives occurred in November as a result of earlier discussions that were brokered by Qatar.

Israel has been charged by Al Jazeera with intentionally targeting its employees.

Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of many journalists, including Hamza al-Dahdouh, the son of Wael al-Dahdouh, the head of Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau. Israel disputes that it targets reporters.

In reaction to the restriction on Sunday, the network said, "Israel's suppression of free press to cover up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists has not deterred us from performing our duty."