Qatari television channel Al-Jazeera announced that armed and masked Israeli soldiers raided its offices in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Sunday, September 22, and issued a closure order for 45 days. This is a new episode in the long-running conflict between the channel and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which worsened during the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army has repeatedly accused journalists from the Qatari channel of being “terrorist agents” in Gaza affiliated with the Palestinian Hamas movement. Four Al Jazeera staff members have been killed since the start of the Gaza war. The channel denies Israel’s accusations and says Israel systematically targets its employees in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Jazeera said the soldiers who stormed its offices on Sunday did not give a reason for the closure: “There is a court decision to close Al-Jazeera for forty-five days”an Israeli soldier told the office chief, Walid al-Omari. “I ask you to take all your cameras and leave the office immediately”the soldier continued, according to images from the channel. Walid al-Omari added that Al-Jazeera was accused, in the closure order, of“inciting and supporting terrorism”according to his comments reported by the channel.
The Israeli army did not immediately react. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned the Israeli operation and denounced “flagrant violation” freedom of the press, while the press service of the Hamas-run Gaza government speaks of a “absolute scandal”.
Revocation of press cards
The closure of the Al-Jazeera office “confirms the efforts of the occupation [par Israël] disrupt the work of the media [des informations sur] violations of the occupation against the Palestinian people »Mohammed Abu Al-Rub, director of the Palestinian Authority government media office, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
On September 12, the Israeli government announced the revocation of the press cards of several Al-Jazeera journalists, four months after banning its broadcast and ordering the closure of its office in Israel on May 5. These initiatives were taken in application of a law adopted in early April by the Israeli parliament authorizing measures against foreign media outlets. “undermining state security”.
The 45-day closures are renewable, and Al-Jazeera’s closure in Israel was extended for a fourth time by a Tel Aviv court on September 11. The ban has so far not affected the channel’s work in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, where Al-Jazeera journalists are present to cover the war between Israel and Hamas.
The closure of the Ramallah office “It’s not a surprise”according to Al-Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim, quoted by the channel. “We had heard Israeli officials threaten to close the office. […], But we didn’t expect this to happen today.”he added.
