Israeli Forces Raid Al Jazeera’s West Bank Office, Issue Closure
Al Jazeera has reported that Israeli forces raided its office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Sunday, ordering the network to shut down operations for 45 days.
The closure comes after Israel announced last week that it was revoking the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists, following a four-month ban on the channel operating inside Israel.
According to Al Jazeera’s West Bank bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, Israeli soldiers issued the closure order, stating, “There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days,” and demanded, “Take all the cameras and leave the office at this moment.”
The heavily armed troops did not provide a clear reason for the shutdown. However, Al Jazeera reported that the order accused the network of “incitement to and support of terrorism.”
Reacting to the raid, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Nida Ibrahim noted that the closure “comes as no surprise” following the recent ban. The media office of the Gaza government condemned the raid, calling it a “resounding scandal and a blatant violation of press freedom.”
Al Jazeera also condemned the act, reiterating its stance against what it describes as an infringement on the right to access information.
