Israeli soldiers raided the Al Jazeera bureau in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and handed a 45-day closure order to the network’s bureau chief on Sunday. The soldiers did not provide a reason for the decision. This comes months after Israel banned Al Jazeera from operating inside the country. The raid has been condemned by media rights groups, who have criticized Israel for its restrictions and attacks on journalists, including Palestinian reporters. Since the start of the war in Gaza in October, 173 journalists have been killed, according to the Government Media Office. Al Jazeera has also faced previous attacks, with a correspondent killed in 2022 while reporting from Jenin.
The ban on reporting inside Israel earlier this year was described as a violation of human rights and press freedom by Al Jazeera. The raid highlights Israel’s tight control over the occupied West Bank, and comes after the United Nations General Assembly voted for an end to the Israeli occupation. Despite the closure of the bureau, Al Jazeera has expressed its commitment to covering the news and will continue to do so through the work of Palestinian and foreign journalists in the region. The raid is seen as part of Israel’s efforts to prevent the truth about the situation in Palestine from being known.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
