Israel cancels press passes of Al Jazeera journalists

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel revoked on Thursday the press passes of Al Jazeera journalists following a government decision in May to shut down the news channel.

The Government Press Office (GPO), which is part of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office, issues passes that serve as authorization for reporters to work in Israel.

“The use of GPO cards in the course of the journalists' work could in itself jeopardize state security at this time of military emergency,” Nitzan Chen, the office director, said in a statement.

The office said the revocation will remain in effect as long as the Knesset legislation and the temporary order remain in force.

On May 5, the Israeli government decided to ban Al Jazeera, close its offices in Israel and restrict access to its website under a law passed by the Knesset (parliament) that allows the communications minister to shut down foreign networks operating in Israel and confiscate their equipment if the country’s defense minister identifies that their broadcasts pose “an actual harm to the state’s security.”

Israeli officials have frequently criticized the Qatar-based television, particularly for its extensive coverage of the brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Israel has continued its war on Gaza since a Hamas attack last October despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 41,100 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 95,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala