The Israeli government voted unanimously on Sunday to shut down the operations of Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news network, in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “Al Jazeera's reporters harmed Israel's security and incited against IDF soldiers. It's time to kick the Hamas spokesman out of our country.”
Al Jazeera has reported on the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks by Hamas in southern Israel and has been critical of Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Al Jazeera called the Israeli cabinet's decision a “criminal act that violates human rights and the fundamental right to access information.”
“Israel's continued suppression of the free press, seen as an attempt to hide its actions in the Gaza Strip, is contrary to international and humanitarian law,” the network said. Israel's direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, threats and intimidation will not deter Al Jazeera.
The network also said it “strongly rejects allegations made by Israeli authorities that suggest professional media standards have been breached”.
of Foreign Press Associationa non-governmental organization that represents international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said in a statement that Israel has joined “a dubious club of authoritarian governments.”
FPA closes its statement by saying: “This is a black day for the media. This is a black day for democracy.”
