1 week ago
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks aft a gathering pinch German Chancellor Olaf Scholz successful Jerusalem connected March 17, 2024. File Photo by Leo Correa/UPI | License Photo
May 5 (UPI) -- The Palestinian militia Hamas has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for closing nan Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera's offices successful Jerusalem.
"It is simply a blatant usurpation of state of nan press, and an oppressive and retaliatory measurement against Al Jazeera's master domiciled successful exposing nan occupation's crimes and violations committed by its criminal Nazi service and its violent settlers against our Palestinian group successful nan Gaza Strip and nan occupied West Bank," Hamas said successful a statement.
"It comes arsenic a culmination of nan declared warfare against journalists who are subjected to systematic Zionist coercion pinch nan purpose of concealing nan truth."
Hamas accused Israel of targeting Al Jazeera workers, galore of whom are among nan 141 reporters killed by Israeli forces successful Gaza since nan warfare began.
"It exposes nan falsity of nan occupying entity's declare of state of nan property and journalistic work, which constitutes a sedate usurpation and suppression of freedoms, which requires placing nan entity astatine nan apical of nan blacklist of countries and entities that believe coercion and restrict journalistic work," Hamas said.
"We powerfully condemn this business decision, and telephone connected world quality authorities and journalistic institutions to condemn it, and to return punitive measures against nan Zionist entity, including canceling its rank successful world journalistic institutions and gatherings arsenic a measurement to unit this rogue entity to respect journalistic work, and not to onslaught journalists who proceed their domiciled and ngo successful exposing truth and work to humanity."
Netanyahu had announced earlier Sunday that his authorities had decided to shutter Al-Jazeera aft agelong criticizing nan news transmission for its sum of his warfare successful Gaza.
"The authorities headed by maine unanimously decided: nan incitement transmission Al Jazeera will beryllium closed successful Israel," Netanyahu had said connected societal media.
The determination to ambush nan Qatar-based Al-Jazeera came aft nan Knesset passed a measure successful April that would let nan authorities to temporarily adjacent immoderate overseas media outlets successful a move reminiscent of Russia's handling of nan press amid nan warfare successful Ukraine.
