Israel extends Al Jazeera office closure in undeclared yet open war on media

Israel has extended the closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office for another 45 days, intensifying its crackdown on press freedom in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The military order prolongs the shutdown of the network’s operation in the illegally-occupied West Bank following a pre-dawn raid today. Israeli West Bank Commander Avi Balut claimed that the closure was necessary due to alleged “incitement and support for acts of terrorism.”

This latest move against Al Jazeera comes amid growing international concern over Israel’s undeclared yet open war against journalists during its military offensive in Gaza, where nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the occupation forces since 7 October 2023. The death toll represents an unprecedented attack on media personnel in such a short period.

The extension coincides with the Palestinian Authority’s own controversial decision last Wednesday to suspend Al Jazeera broadcasts and freeze its operations in Palestine, citing allegations of interference in internal affairs and broadcasting “inflammatory material.”

#عاجل | سلطات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي تصدر قرارا بتمديد إغلاق مكتب #الجزيرة في رام الله#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/Daa12d94QW

— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) January 7, 2025

“The occupation state of Israel issued a decision to extend the closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah,” the Qatar based agency said in an Arabic social media post.

The targeting of Al Jazeera’s operations was obvious last September when Israeli forces raided the network’s Ramallah office, confiscated equipment and documents and restricted staff movements. The broader campaign against the network intensified in May 2023 when the Netanyahu government approved the “Al Jazeera Law,” enabling the closure of the network’s offices in Israel.

Advocates of press freedom have condemned Israel’s systematic targeting of journalists and media outlets, particularly as it imposes a near-total blackout on independent international media coverage in Gaza.

Foreign journalists have been largely prevented from entering the besieged territory to document the effects of its military offensive and consequent humanitarian crisis, leading to accusations that Israel is attempting to control the narrative while conducting military operations that have led to what major human rights groups have described as genocide.

The crackdown on Al Jazeera in the West Bank comes amid what human rights organisations have called a pogrom by Israeli settlers, with increasing violence against Palestinian communities taking place while the illegal settlers have full military protection. All of Israel’s settlements and the settlers who live in them are illegal under international law.

This coordinated pressure on media coverage, both in Gaza and the West Bank, has raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the genocide that has killed 46,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children.

READ: PRCS: Israel killed 1,056 medical personnel, arrested 350 others since October 2023