- By Kamal Kumar
- Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:27 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Israeli security forces ordered a complete shutdown of the West Bank bureau of Qatar-owned Al Jazeera satellite network after it raided the facility on early Sunday amid a widespread crackdown against the news outlet which is covering the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza strip. Al Jazeera aired the live footage of Israeli troops forcefully entering the premises of the Arabic news channel and ordering a closure for 45 days.
The latest crackdown follows a raid on Al Jazeera's broadcast office in East Jerusalem in May this year. The Israeli police seized equipment and prevented the broadcast in Israel, along with blocking the Al Jazeera website in the country.
According to AP, the Al Jazeera closure order is the first time Israel has asked a foreign channel to shut down its services in its territories. For now, the broadcast was continuing even from the West Bank channel and there was no clarity on the acknowledgement of the shutdown order by Al Jazeera staff present at the spot, the news agency added.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera slammed the move and continued broadcasting news from Amman in Jordan, an Israeli neighbouring country.
What Happened At Al Jazeera Office
According to the same AP report, Israeli troops entered the Ramallah office of the Qatari channel and told a reporter live on air that the facility would be closed for 45 days. They also ordered the immediate evacuation of the office.
Al Jazeera later aired footage showing Israeli soldiers tearing down a banner on a balcony used by Al Jazeera staff. The banner reportedly bore an image of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist shot dead by Israeli forces in May 2022.