Israel's government has unanimously voted to close Al Jazeera's operations in the country, citing national security concerns. The move comes amid ongoing war in Gaza and follows the passage of a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters deemed a threat to national security.
Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the decision on social media platform X, stating that "the government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel".
Immediately after the cabinet meeting, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signed decrees formalising the ban on the Qatar-based news organisation.
"Anyone who incites against the State of Israel... will no longer broadcast from Israel here, and his equipment will be confiscated," Karhi said in a video posted on X.
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The move has been made possible by a law passed last month allowing the temporary closure of foreign news networks considered a national security threat.
The law, ratified by the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, enables Netanyahu and his powerful security cabinet to shut down Al Jazeera's offices in Israel for 45 days, with the possibility of extension beyond that period or until the end of military operations in Gaza.
Israel's relationship with Al Jazeera has been strained for some time, with Israeli authorities accusing the broadcaster of harbouring an anti-Israel bias and collaborating with the militant group Hamas. The Qatar-based network has repeatedly rejected the accusations.
Al Jazeera has reported extensively on the war in Gaza, which has seen at least 34,683 Palestinians killed and 78,018 wounded since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas's October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens still held captive.
Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders, has been attempting to broker a ceasefire and hostage release deal to end the war. The move by Israel to shut down Al Jazeera's operations comes as Qatar's efforts are ongoing.
The closure will affect Al Jazeera's operations in Israel and east Jerusalem, where it has been conducting live broadcasts for months since the start of the war.
However, it will not impact the network's operations in the Palestinian territories. An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service confirmed the order would not affect their reporting from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
