Israel bans Al Jazeera, the largest international media outlet in Gaza
- The Zionist State has set the ban by accusing Hamas of being an instrument. Al Jazeera denies the accusations and denounces the desire to silence critical voices. Several international associations have criticised the “attack on press freedom”. The ban is 45 days, but the government has the possibility of extending it.
On Sunday Benjamin Netanyahu met the threat that the Israeli Prime Minister had been running for some time. The Al Jazeera chain has been banned in Israel and has carried out a raid on the media offices in Jerusalem. The instruments have been seized. Netanyahu justifies the measure taken as a measure to “eliminate the voice of Hamas”. According to the Associated Press, this is the first time that Israel has banned an international media.
Al Jazeera has pointed out that Israel’s allegations are “unfounded”, which represent the medium as a propaganda tool of Hamas. It denounces that the Sunday ban is a measure of “political motivation” aimed at silencing the Arab media and not as a consequence of Israel’s security concerns. Al Jazeera has its headquarters in Qatar and since 7 October it has been continuously monitoring the attacks suffered by the Gaza Strip. During these months Israel’s attacks have killed or wounded many Al Jaze journalists.
Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, took advantage of the opportunity it gave on 1 April to temporarily close foreign media to Netanyahu. The ban is 45 days extendable. Attacks on Gaza can therefore remain in force for as long as they last. Shortly after Netanyahu made the order public, Al Jazeera disappears from the offer of Israeli television providers. However, some sources have pointed out that their contents can still be collected through Facebook.
Imran Khan Al Jazeera's main English correspondent has released a video on Sunday shortly after media closure. “If you are watching this deferred video, Al Jazeera has been banned in Israel.” The Government can confiscate any device used to create or disseminate the content of Al Jazeera, including the mobile phones of journalists. Moreover, the journalist of Hassan Massoud Al Jazeera has been banned from entering Israel after the entry into force of the ban.
"If you’re watching this... then Al Jazeera has been banned in Israel."
Al Jazeera's @ajimran recorded his last report from occupied East Jerusalem, pre-empting the Netanyahu gov't's unanimous decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel?? pic.twitter.com/ZOzqxpSKGJ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJE nglish) May 5, 2024
International criticism
The Foreign Press Association, one of the largest international journalists ' organizations, has described the measure as a serious attack on press freedom and has urged the Israeli Government to withdraw. The Commission on the Protection of Journalists has also expressed concern about the ban and has claimed that Al Jazeera and all international media should have permission to work freely in Israel, “especially in times of war.”
The United Nations Office for Human Rights has also requested the Government of Israel to suspend the measure. “Free and independent journalism is essential to ensure transparency and accountability. Now more than ever, given the limitations on the dissemination of information from Gaza.” In fact, Al Jazeera journalists have been one of the few who have been making themselves known from Gaza.
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