Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that his government has unanimously voted to close the local offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera. This decision comes as Israel's ongoing dispute with the channel intensifies, particularly as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas — facilitated by Qatar — are making progress.
According to Israeli media reports, the vote grants Israel the authority to suspend Al Jazeera's operations within the country for a period of 45 days.
There was no immediate comment from Al Jazeera headquarters in the Qatari capital of Doha. But several Al Jazeera correspondents went on air to give their understanding of how the decision would affect the channel.
An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service said the order would affect the broadcaster's operations in Israel and in east Jerusalem, where it has been doing live shots for months since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
It would not affect Al Jazeera's operations in the Palestinian territories, the correspondent said.
Another correspondent, on Al Jazeera's English channel, said the order barred the channel from "holding offices or operating them" in Israel. He said the broadcaster's websites would be blocked, though they were still accessible by Sunday afternoon in Jerusalem.
The decision threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza, along with Egypt and the United States.
Qatar has had strained ties with Netanyahu in particular since he made comments suggesting that Qatar is not exerting enough pressure on Hamas to prompt it to relent in its terms for a truce deal. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders in exile.
The sides appear to be close to striking a deal, but multiple previous rounds of talks have ended with no agreement.
Following the government's decision, Cabinet members from the National Unity party criticized the timing, stating it "may sabotage the efforts to finalize the negotiations and stems from political considerations." Despite this, the party expressed general support for the decision.
Israel's relationship with Al Jazeera has been tumultuous, with accusations of bias long-standing. Tensions escalated nearly two years ago when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.
Relations further soured after the outbreak of Israel's conflict with Hamas on Oct. 7, triggered by a cross-border attack in southern Israel by the militant group that resulted in 1,200 casualties and 250 individuals being taken hostage.
An order prohibiting a broadcaster is regarded as an exceptional step by the Israeli government, which typically permits media outlets to function within the country. Nevertheless, the government has previously rescinded press credentials for individual correspondents based on their reporting.
Israel boasts a vibrant and outspoken local media landscape, although it perceives certain international media organizations as exhibiting bias against the country.
Throughout the conflict, Al Jazeera has maintained a presence in Gaza, broadcasting graphic images of airstrikes and overwhelmed hospitals while accusing Israel of carrying out massacres. In response, Israel has accused Al Jazeera of collaborating with Hamas.
Funded by the government of Qatar, Al Jazeera has yet to respond to requests for comments from The Associated Press.
While the English division of Al Jazeera typically mirrors the content of other major networks, its Arabic branch frequently shares unedited video statements from Hamas and other militant organizations in the region. This practice has drawn criticism, particularly from the United States during the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Al Jazeera has faced closures and blocks from various Middle Eastern governments, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, as part of a long-standing boycott of Doha that concluded in 2021.
The recent events bring to mind Egypt's shutdown of Al Jazeera in 2013 following the military's ousting of President Mohammed Morsi after widespread protests against his rule. The channel's live coverage of the Muslim Brotherhood's demonstrations angered the Egyptian government, leading to the arrest of its journalists and the closure of its operations in the country.
After being sentenced to 10 years in prison, Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy, and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed were eventually released in 2015 following international outcry.
In a recent development, Egypt has officially labeled the Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Furthermore, they have pointed fingers at both Qatar and Al Jazeera, accusing them of providing support to the organization.
