In a significant escalation, Israeli troops raided the offices of the Al Jazeera satellite news network in the West Bank early Sunday. The troops ordered the bureau’s immediate closure for 45 days, intensifying Israel’s ongoing campaign against the Qatar-funded broadcaster amid its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
Al Jazeera aired live footage of the raid on its Arabic-language channel, showing Israeli troops shutting down the office and ordering staff to evacuate. This follows a similar raid in East Jerusalem in May, where Israeli police confiscated Al Jazeera’s equipment, blocking broadcasts and restricting access to its websites within Israel.
This marks the first instance of Israel closing a foreign news outlet within its territory. Despite the shutdown, Al Jazeera continues its operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the action, which Al Jazeera has condemned, while continuing its broadcasts from Jordan.
