Israeli soldiers raid Al Jazeera's West Bank office, order closure
Israeli forces raided the Al Jazeera office in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and issued a 45-day closure order. The network reported that an Israeli soldier informed their West Bank bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, of a court ruling mandating the shutdown. The "heavily armed and masked Israeli soldiers" were seen confiscating documents and other property from the premises without providing any reason for their actions.
Al Jazeera continues broadcasting amid shutdown
Denouncing the move, Al Jazeera continued to broadcast live from Amman in neighboring Jordan. The network has not received any official acknowledgment or comment from Israeli forces regarding the shutdown. This incident marks another episode in Israel's ongoing actions against the Qatar-backed network, following last week's revocation of press credentials for the network's journalists in Israel.
45-day closure ordered
Palestinian Journalists's Syndicate condemns Israeli move
The Palestinian Journalists's Syndicate has expressed its condemnation of Israel's actions against Al Jazeera. In a statement, they described the military decision as "a new violation against journalistic and media works." The syndicate also pledged full solidarity with Al Jazeera, offering their headquarters and resources to support the network's staff. Similarly, the government media office in Hamas-run Gaza denounced Israel's move as a clear violation of international law.
Israel accuses Al Jazeera of terrorist affiliations
The Israeli military has repeatedly accused journalists from Al Jazeera of being "terrorist agents" in Gaza affiliated with Hamas or its ally, Islamic Jihad. However, these accusations have been vehemently denied by the network. Al Jazeera claims that Israel systematically targets its employees in the Gaza Strip. This dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and Al Jazeera has been ongoing since the start of the Gaza war last year.
