Israeli soldiers close Al Jazeera television's office in Ramallah, West Bank on 22 September. (Photo: Issam Rimawi/Anadolu/Getty Images) An “up-to-date intelligence assessment” determined that “the channel’s broadcasts endanger the security and public order,” the Israel Defence Forces said in a statement.
In posts on X, Qatar-based Al Jazeera said that “heavily armed and masked” Israeli forces raided its Ramallah bureau, told staff to leave, confiscated equipment and ordered the office closed for 45 days.
Al Jazeera Media Network vows to continue its coverage of Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank https://t.co/0y8C7otuvi pic.twitter.com/MwfXDj3Osn
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 22, 2024
The decision to close the bureau was made by Israel’s government, the military said. The action followed a similar move to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations within Israel in May.
Al Jazeera denounced the raid and said it wouldn’t be deterred by efforts to silence its coverage of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere.
Al Jazeera denounces Israeli armed raid on Ramallah office and vows to continue coverage of Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. pic.twitter.com/bRWC9nyXdX
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 22, 2024
“Al Jazeera rejects the draconian actions and the unfounded allegations presented by Israeli authorities to justify these illegal raids,” the channel said in a lengthy statement on X.
The network said it “reaffirms its unwavering commitment to continue reporting on the war on Gaza and the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories and the regional escalation.”
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply alarmed” by Israel’s actions.
“Israel’s efforts to censor Al Jazeera severely undermine the public’s right to information on a war that has upended so many lives in the region,” CPC programme director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said in a statement.