JERUSALEM, May 6: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that his government has unanimously voted to shut down Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.
Israel said the shut down is valid for a total of 45 days, with the possibility of an extension.
Fortunately, the shutdown does not extend to the Israeli-occupied West Bank or Gaza Strip, where Al Jazeera continues to broadcast live coverage of Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
The leader said in a statement that “Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against IDF (Israeli military) soldiers”.
“There will be no freedom of speech for the Hamas trumpets in Israel.
“Al Jazeera will be closed immediately and the equipment will be confiscated,” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said in the joint statement with Netanyahu.
In response, the network expressed its commitment to “utilize all possible legal avenues through international legal bodies to safeguard its rights, protect its journalists, and uphold the public’s right to access information.”
Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the Israeli government’s move as a “criminal act” and warned that the country’s suppression of the free press “stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law.”
Netanyahu’s administration has been engaged in a protracted dispute with Al Jazeera predating the conflict in Gaza.
Tensions escalated due to Israeli objections to the network’s reporting on the war, during which Israel’s genocide has resulted in the deaths of at least 34,683 individuals in Gaza, predominantly women and children.-TVS
