Netanyahu's Cabinet votes to close Al Jazeera offices in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said connected Sunday that his authorities has voted unanimously to unopen down nan section offices of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera, escalating Israel's long-running feud pinch nan transmission astatine a clip erstwhile cease-fire negotiations pinch Hamas — mediated by Qatar — are gaining steam.

According to a connection from Netanyahu's office, nan determination goes into effect immediately. It could see closing nan channel's offices successful Israel, confiscating broadcast equipment, preventing nan broadcast of nan channel's reports and blocking its websites, among different measures, nan connection said.

Israeli media said nan ballot allows Israel to artifact nan transmission from operating successful nan state for 45 days, according to nan decision.

"Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel's information and incited against soldiers," Netanyahu said successful nan statement. "It's clip to region nan Hamas mouthpiece from our country."

The bonzer move is believed to beryllium nan first clip Israel has ever shuttered a overseas news outlet, though its authorities has taken action against individual reporters successful nan past. The connection from Netanyahu's agency said that nether a rule passed past month, nan authorities tin return action against a overseas transmission seen arsenic "harming nan country."

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Qatar-based Al-Jazeera web is seen successful 1 of their offices successful Jerusalem June 13, 2017. Picture taken June 13, 2017. Ronen Zvulun / REUTERS

There was nary contiguous remark from Al Jazeera office successful nan Qatari superior of Doha. But respective Al Jazeera correspondents went connected aerial to springiness their knowing of really nan determination would impact nan channel.

An Al Jazeera analogous connected its Arabic work said nan bid would impact nan broadcaster's operations successful Israel and successful eastbound Jerusalem, wherever it has been doing unrecorded shots for months since nan Oct. 7 onslaught that sparked nan warfare successful Gaza.

It would not impact Al Jazeera's operations successful nan Palestinian territories, nan analogous said.

Another correspondent, connected Al Jazeera's English channel, said nan bid barred nan transmission from "holding offices aliases operating them" successful Israel. He said nan broadcaster's websites would beryllium blocked, though they were still accessible by Sunday day successful Jerusalem.

The determination threatens to heighten tensions pinch Qatar astatine a clip erstwhile nan Doha authorities is playing a cardinal domiciled successful mediation efforts to halt nan warfare successful Gaza, on pinch Egypt and nan United States.

Qatar has had strained ties pinch Netanyahu successful peculiar since he made comments suggesting that Qatar is not exerting capable unit connected Hamas to punctual it to relent successful its position for a truce deal. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders successful exile.

The sides look to beryllium adjacent to striking a deal, but aggregate erstwhile rounds of talks person ended pinch nary agreement.

Shortly aft nan government's decision, Cabinet members from nan National Unity statement criticized its timing, saying it "may sabotage nan efforts to finalize nan negotiations and stems from governmental considerations." The statement said that successful general, it supported nan decision.

Israel has agelong had a rocky narration pinch Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias. Relations took a awesome downturn astir 2 years agone erstwhile Al Jazeera analogous Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli subject ambush successful nan occupied West Bank.

Those relations further deteriorated pursuing nan outbreak of Israel's warfare against Hamas connected Oct. 7, erstwhile nan militant group carried retired a cross-border onslaught successful confederate Israel that killed 1,200 group and took 250 others hostage.

In December, an Israeli onslaught killed an Al Jazeera cameraman arsenic he reported connected nan warfare successful confederate Gaza. The channel's bureau main successful Gaza, Wael Dahdouh, was injured successful nan aforesaid attack.

In 2017, Israel threatened to revoke an Al Jazeera reporter's credentials aft an question and reply surfaced successful which nan newsman expressed support for Palestinian "resistance."

An bid barring a broadcaster is seen arsenic an bonzer measurement by nan Israeli government, which broadly allows media outlets to run successful nan country. However, nan authorities has successful nan past revoked property cards issued to individual correspondents complete their coverage.

The state has a captious and outspoken section media scene, though Israel views immoderate world outlets arsenic harboring bias against it.

Al Jazeera is 1 of nan fewer world media outlets to stay successful Gaza passim nan war, broadcasting bloody scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres. Israel accuses Al Jazeera of collaborating pinch Hamas.

Al Jazeera, which is funded by Qatar's government, did not instantly respond to a petition from The Associated Press for comment.

While Al Jazeera's English cognition often resembles nan programming recovered connected different awesome broadcast networks, its Arabic limb often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and different militant groups successful nan region. It likewise came nether harsh U.S. disapproval during America's business of Iraq aft its 2003 penetration toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Al Jazeera has been closed aliases blocked by different Mideast governments. Those see Saudi Arabia, Jordan, nan United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during a yearslong boycott of Doha by nan countries amid a yearslong governmental conflict that ended successful 2021.

Sunday's improvement instantly recalled Egypt's shutdown of Al Jazeera aft nan country's 2013 subject takeover pursuing wide protests against President Mohammed Morsi, a personnel of nan Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group. The transmission covered galore of nan Brotherhood's protests live, to nan anger of Egypt's subject government. At nan time, Egyptian information forces raided a luxury edifice nan transmission operated retired of, arresting its correspondents.

Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian shaper Baher Mohamed received 10-year situation sentences, but were later released successful 2015 amid wide world criticism.

Egypt considers nan Brotherhood a violent group and accused some Qatar and Al Jazeera of supporting it.

In:
• War
• Qatar
• Hamas
• Israel
• Politics
• Television
• Benjamin Neta​nyahu