Press groups condemn Israel's closure of Al Jazeera office in Ramallah | Media news

Press freedom groups and human rights activists have condemned the Israeli military's violent closure of Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, calling the act an attack on journalism.

Early Sunday morning, Israeli soldiers raided the Qatar-based network's office and ordered its closure for 45 days.

The raid, which was broadcast live on television, showed heavily armed Israeli soldiers handing Al Jazeera bureau chief Walid al-Omari an order from an Israeli military court informing him of the closure.

Al-Omari later said that the court ruling accused Al Jazeera of “inciting and supporting terrorism” and that Israeli soldiers had confiscated the office’s cameras before they left.

“Targeting journalists in this way is intended to erase the truth and prevent people from knowing the truth,” he said.

During the raid, Israeli soldiers also tore down posters of murdered Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh that were hanging on the office's walls, al-Omari said.

The raid on the Ramallah office came five months after Israel shut down the news channel in occupied East Jerusalem and removed it from cable providers.

“Relentless attack”

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli raid, just months after Israel suspended Al Jazeera's operations in Israel because it deemed the broadcaster a threat to national security.

“Israel's efforts to censor Al Jazeera massively undermine the public's right to know about a war that has upended so many lives in the region,” it said.

“Al Jazeera journalists must be allowed to report at this critical time and at all times.”

In a brief statement on X, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it “condemns Israel's relentless attack” on Al Jazeera. RSF had previously called for the repeal of an Israeli law that allows the government to close foreign media in Israel “that target the Al Jazeera broadcaster.”

No witnesses admitted.

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories (@FranceskAlbs) 22 September 2024

The Palestinian Journalists Association condemned Israel's “arbitrary military decision” and called it “a new aggression against journalistic work and the media.”

“We call on all bodies and institutions that defend the rights of journalists to condemn this decision and stop its implementation,” the group said.

The Palestinian Authority described the Israeli operation against Al Jazeera in Ramallah as “a blatant violation” of press freedom.

“Insult to press freedom”

Al Jazeera reported extensively on Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has been ongoing for almost a year, and on the parallel escalation of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Since the war in Gaza began, four Al Jazeera journalists have been killed and the broadcaster's office in the besieged area has been bombed. A total of 173 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October last year. Israel claims it does not deliberately target journalists.

The Qatari government-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera also rejected the allegations that it was endangering Israel's security and called them a “dangerous and ridiculous lie” that puts its journalists in danger.

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi justified the closure of Al Jazeera's bureau on Sunday, calling the network a “mouthpiece” for Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“We will continue to fight against enemy channels and ensure the safety of our heroic fighters,” he said.

However, in a statement, the Al Jazeera media network said it “strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act by the Israeli occupation forces.”

“Al Jazeera rejects the draconian measures and unfounded accusations made by the Israeli authorities to justify these illegal raids,” it said.

“The raid on our office and the confiscation of our equipment is not only an attack on Al Jazeera, but also an insult to press freedom and the principles of journalism.”

“A major attack on the West Bank”

Rami Khouri, a Middle East expert at the American University in Beirut, said the closure of Al-Jazeera's Ramallah office was in line with Israel's policy since 1948 “which is to prevent real news about the Palestinians.”

“This probably means that there will be an even greater onslaught of Israeli violence throughout the West Bank. And the most important tool for informing the world about Israel's activities will no longer be available for this purpose,” he said.

Mouin Rabbani, a non-resident researcher at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, said the decision to close Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah showed that Israel “obviously has something very serious to hide.”

“If you don't like the fact that genocide is being uncovered in the context of an illegal occupation in this particular case, then shoot the bearer of bad news.”