West Bank: In a controversial move, Israeli soldiers stormed Al Jazeera's office in the occupied West Bank, halting a live broadcast and ordering the bureau to shut down for 45 days, citing a court order. The raid, which took place on Sunday, September 22, marked another instance of Israel's continued clampdown on the Qatar-based news network.
Israeli army raid on Al Jazeera office, video surfaces
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In the early hours of the morning, heavily armed and masked Israeli soldiers entered Al Jazeera’s West Bank office. The bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, was handed an order to cease operations for 45 days, though no specific reason was provided for the closure. This is not the first time the news organization has faced challenges in Israel; it was previously banned for several months and restricted from working within the country.
Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera showed the soldiers entering the office and an Israeli army officer handing over the closure order to a staff member on camera. "There is a court order to close Al Jazeera for 45 days. I request you to take all the cameras and leave the office at this time," one of the soldiers can be heard saying in the live broadcast, which was abruptly cut off.
Media and human rights organizations condemn the move
The Palestinian Syndicate of Journalists condemned the Israeli government's actions, calling it "a new violation against journalism and media work." The organization emphasized that the raid exposes ongoing "crimes of occupation against the Palestinian people."
Numerous media rights groups and organizations worldwide also criticized Israel for this ban. In a statement, Gaza’s Government Media Office called for global condemnation of this "heinous crime," describing it as a gross violation of press freedom and media rights.
History of tensions between Israel and Al Jazeera
This raid follows a pattern of tensions between Israel and Al Jazeera. Earlier in May, Israeli authorities raided a hotel in Jerusalem, which was used as Al Jazeera’s office, and subsequently shut down the local office of the TV station. Israeli officials have long accused the network of being a national security threat, a claim that Al Jazeera has consistently denied.
The international community has been closely monitoring the situation, with calls for the protection of journalistic freedom becoming louder as incidents like these raise concerns over media rights in conflict zones.