Al Jazeera TV condemns Israel’s ‘criminal’ raid on West Bank office

DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera condemned a raid by Israeli forces on Sunday on its offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and the order for a 45-day closure.

The Qatar-funded broadcaster said in a statement that it “strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act.”

She rejected the “unfounded accusations made by the Israeli authorities to justify these illegal raids.”

The closure of the West Bank office is the latest episode in a series of disputes between the global media network and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that have escalated during the Gaza war.

Al Jazeera said the Israeli military raid and the confiscation of its equipment broadcast on the channel were “not only an attack on Al Jazeera, but also an insult to press freedom and the principles of journalism”.

“These repressive measures are clearly aimed at preventing the world from witnessing the reality of the situation in the occupied territories and the ongoing war in Gaza and its devastating impact on innocent civilians,” it said.

Due to a law passed in April banning media broadcasts deemed harmful to Israel's national security, Al Jazeera has been barred from broadcasting from Israel since May 5. Its offices in the country were initially closed for a period of 45 days, which has since been extended four times.