Reporters Without Borders condemns Israeli shut-down of Al Jazeera's West Bank bureau

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) — Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Sunday condemned an Israeli raid of Al Jazeera's office in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and the subsequent closure of the bureau.

In a post on its X account, the press freedom organization said Israeli soldiers stormed the Qatar-based media group's office in Ramallah early on Sunday, forcing staff to evacuate.

It said they also imposed a 45-day closure and tore down a poster of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli gunfire in Jenin on May 11, 2022.

RSF condemned the raid, saying, "Once again, RSF denounces Israel's relentless assault on @alJazeera."

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 "actual harm to the state’s security."

Despite the ban, the office staff continued to operate from Ramallah, prompting the Israeli Press Office, affiliated with the prime minister's office, to revoke the accreditation of its reporters on Sept. 12.

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

Israel has continued its deadly onslaught on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,400 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and more than 95,700 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 at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.