Israeli authorities closed all Al-Jazerra local offices on Sunday after the government passed a bill in assembly and immediately implemented laws to close satellite news channel offices in the country.
The government in a statement said that the Al Jazeera TV network is a threat to national security.
‘The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,’ the country’s prime minister posted on social media after the unanimous cabinet vote, reported in The Guardian.
Al Jazeera network, which is funded by Qatar, has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, from where it has reported around the clock throughout the seven-month war.
Al Jazeera said the accusation that it threatened Israeli security was a dangerous and ridiculous lie that put its journalists at risk.
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‘Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information,” the company said in a statement. “Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences.’
A pre-recorded “final report” listing the restrictions placed on the network by a reporter in Jerusalem was broadcast on the network after the ban came into effect.
UN high commissioner for human rights also criticized the the closure of Al Jazeera offices in Jerusalem.. ‘We regret the cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel,” it said on X.
“A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza. Freedom of expression is a key human right. We urge govt to overturn ban.”
The Foreign Press Association, a NGO representing journalists working for international news organizations said in a statement:
“This is a dark day for the media. This is a dark day for democracy,”.