'Hamas mouthpiece': Israeli cabinet votes to halt Al Jazeera's operations
In a unanimous decision, the Israeli cabinet, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has voted to cease the operations of television network, Al Jazeera, within Israel. The government said that the decision goes into effect immediately, with Israeli media reporting that the vote empowers Israel to suspend the channel's operations for 45 days. This move follows a law passed by Israel's parliament last month allowing for the temporary suspension of foreign broadcasters deemed a threat to national security.
New legislation permits suspension of foreign broadcasters
In a statement, Netanyahu said it was time to remove the "Hamas mouthpiece from our country." "Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel's security and incited against soldiers," the PM added. In an X post, Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said he had signed the orders against the media house. Karhi also ordered the confiscation of Al Jazeera's broadcasting equipment "used to deliver the channel's content," which included editing and routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers and laptops, among others.
Decision escalates Israel's long-running feud against Al Jazeera
The move further inflames Israel's long-running feud against Al Jazeera. Additionally, this escalates the risk of straining relations with Qatar, the financial backer of the media network, at a time when Doha is actively involved in mediating efforts to end the conflict in Gaza. Israel has long accused the network of biased reporting and collaboration with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The Qatar-based network has repeatedly denied the charges.
Order would affect broadcaster's operations in Israel, east Jerusalem
An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service said the order will have an impact on the organization's activities in Israel and east Jerusalem. However, its operations in the Palestinian territories would remain unaffected. According to the network, "Al Jazeera is one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting bloody scenes of air attacks and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres."
