Israeli soldiers raided Al Jazeera’s offices in the West Bank, accusing the outlet of “incitement to and support of terrorism.”
The raid occurred at around 3 a.m. local time on live TV. Those working overnight were ordered to leave within ten minutes, with the soldiers saying employees could only take their personal belongings. Israel’s Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi shared Al Jazeera’s footage of the raid, adding that the outlet was “the mouthpiece of Hamas and Hezbollah.”
“After much pressure and as we promised, this morning the security forces raided Al Jazeera’s main offices in Yosh – the mouthpiece of Hamas and Hezbollah, in order to comply with the order and close the station,” he wrote. “We will continue to fight in the enemy channels and ensure the safety of our heroic fighters.”
The Israeli military claimed the outlet was “being used to incite terror, to support terrorist activities and that the channel’s broadcasts endanger … security and public order.”
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate decried the office raid, saying, “This arbitrary military decision is a new aggression against journalistic work and media outlets.”
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the raid, which took place on its territory.
The raid came as part of an April law that allows Israeli security forces to shut down any foreign media deemed a security threat. Al Jazeera is one of the few remaining foreign outlets operating in the Gaza Strip and has been heavily critical of Israel during its war with Hamas.
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The office was ordered to remain closed for 45 days. Israeli security forces seized dozens of computers and cameras in the raid, the New York Times reported.
The move wasn’t the first dust-up between the Israeli government and Al Jazeera — in May, Israeli forces raided the outlet’s broadcast position in East Jerusalem, ordering its closure for 45 days.