Israeli authorities closed the local offices of Al Jazeera on Sunday, hours after a government vote to invoke a new law allowing the temporary shutdown of foreign broadcasters deemed a threat to national security. The move drew immediate criticism from press freedom advocates and raised fresh concerns over the hardline government's attitude towards free speech.
The government's decision was announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on social media, describing Al Jazeera as an 'incitement channel'. Orders signed by the communications minister included confiscating broadcast equipment, cutting the network from cable and satellite providers, and blocking its websites within Israel.
Al Jazeera, funded by Qatar, condemned the action as a 'dangerous and ridiculous lie' that endangered its journalists. The network has provided round-the-clock coverage of the conflict in Gaza, where it has reported throughout the seven-month war. It also accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting its journalists, including Samer Abu Daqqa and Hamza Al-Dahdouh, both killed in Gaza, a claim Israel denies.
The Foreign Press Association, representing international journalists in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, called the shutdown a 'dark day for the media and democracy', likening Israel to authoritarian governments. The UN human rights office urged the government to overturn the ban, stressing the importance of a free and independent media, particularly given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza.
The law, ratified last month, permits closure for 45 days, renewable, potentially extending the ban until end of July or the end of major military operations. The move came as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas appeared close to failing, with a centrist party in the ruling coalition warning it could 'sabotage efforts' to free Israeli hostages.
