Israel shuts down Al Jazeera office in West Bank: Israeli forces raided and shut down Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, marking the latest attack on the news channel by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government during the war on Gaza. Accused of inciting terror and supporting terrorist activities, Al Jazeera denied the allegations and condemned the closure as a violation of press freedom.
With four journalists killed and its Gaza office bombed, Al Jazeera has been targeted for its reporting on Israel’s military campaign. The closure of the Ramallah office followed a law allowing the ban of foreign media broadcasts deemed harmful to state security. Despite the crackdown, Al Jazeera continued to cover the Gaza war from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Foreign Press Association expressed concern over the escalation and urged Israel to reconsider its actions, while the Palestinian foreign ministry and government media office criticized the closure as an attempt to silence media coverage of Palestinian issues. The ban on Al Jazeera broadcasting from Israel highlights the ongoing struggle for press freedom in the region.