Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that his authorities has voted unanimously to close down the native places of work of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera, escalating Israel’s long-running feud with the channel at a time when ceasefire negotiations with Hamas — mediated by Qatar — are gaining steam.
Netanyahu introduced the choice on X, previously Twitter. Particulars, together with when it will go into impact or whether or not the measure was everlasting or momentary, weren’t instantly clear.
“My authorities determined unanimously: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will shut in Israel,” Netanyahu posted on X. Al Jazeera has vehemently denied that it incites in opposition to Israel.
A number of Al Jazeera correspondents went on air to offer their understanding on how the choice would have an effect on the channel, whereas the community condemned the transfer, calling it a “legal motion.”
“Israel’s suppression of free press to cowl up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists has not deterred us from performing our obligation,” it stated.
An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service stated the order would have an effect on the broadcaster’s operations in Israel and in East Jerusalem, the place it has been doing reside pictures for months for the reason that Oct. 7 assault that sparked the battle in Gaza.
No influence on reporting from territories
It could not have an effect on Al Jazeera’s operations within the Palestinian territories, the correspondent stated.
One other correspondent, on Al Jazeera’s English channel, stated the order barred the channel from “holding places of work or working them” in Israel. He stated the broadcaster’s web sites can be blocked, although they have been nonetheless accessible by Sunday afternoon in Jerusalem.
Israeli media stated the vote permits Israel to dam the channel from working within the nation for 45 days, in keeping with the choice. Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi stated in a video posted to X that the channel’s “tools might be confiscated.”
The choice threatens to intensify tensions with Qatar at a time when the Doha authorities, together with Egypt and the US, is taking part in a key position in mediation efforts to halt the battle in Gaza.
As stories of a renewed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas flow into, Palestinians in Gaza are skeptical something will come of it as they take care of the aftermath of one other assault in Rafah.
Qatar has had strained ties with Netanyahu, specifically since he made feedback suggesting that Qatar is just not exerting sufficient stress on Hamas to immediate it to relent in its phrases for a truce deal. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders in exile.
The perimeters seem like near placing a deal, however a number of earlier rounds of talks have ended with no settlement.
Israel has lengthy had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias. Relations took a serious downturn practically two years in the past when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed throughout an Israeli army raid within the occupied West Financial institution.
These relations additional deteriorated following the outbreak of Israel’s battle in opposition to Hamas on Oct. 7, when the militant group carried out a cross-border assault in southern Israel that killed 1,200 folks and took 250 others hostage.
In December, an Israeli strike killed an Al Jazeera cameraman as he reported on the battle in southern Gaza. The channel’s bureau chief in Gaza, Wael Dahdouh, was injured in the identical assault.
Al Jazeera is without doubt one of the few worldwide media retailers to stay in Gaza all through the battle, broadcasting bloody scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres. Israel accuses Al Jazeera of collaborating with Hamas.
Al Jazeera, which is funded by Qatar’s authorities, didn’t instantly reply to a request from The Related Press for remark.
Whereas Al Jazeera’s English operation typically resembles the programming discovered on different main broadcast networks, its Arabic arm typically publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and different militant teams within the area. It equally got here underneath harsh U.S. criticism throughout America’s occupation of Iraq after its 2003 invasion toppled director, Saddam Hussein.
Al Jazeera has been closed or blocked by different Mideast governments. These embody Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain throughout a years-long boycott of Doha by the nations amid a political dispute that resulted in 2021.
Sunday’s improvement instantly recalled Egypt’s shutdown of Al Jazeera after the nation’s 2013 army takeover following mass protests in opposition to President Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group. The channel lined lots of the Brotherhood’s protests reside, to the anger of Egypt’s army authorities. On the time, Egyptian safety forces raided a luxurious resort, arresting Al Jazeera correspondents who have been based mostly there.
Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed obtained 10-year jail sentences however have been launched in 2015 amid widespread worldwide criticism.
Egypt considers the Brotherhood a terrorist group and accused each Qatar and Al Jazeera of supporting it.
