Israeli soldiers heavily armed and masked, raided the Al Jazeera bureau in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and imposed a 45-day closure order without providing a reason. The soldiers entered the building and handed the closure order to the bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, live on television. This raid comes after the Israeli government banned Al Jazeera from operating in Israel in May, a ban that has been renewed and now extends to the West Bank bureau.
The closure order was described by the Gaza Government Media Office as a “deafening scandal,” and media rights groups have condemned the Israeli government’s restrictions and attacks on journalists. Since the war in Gaza began in October of last year, Israeli forces have killed 173 journalists, including Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul and Samer Abudaqa.
Despite these attacks, Al Jazeera remains committed to covering the news and exposing Israel’s actions in the occupied territories. The raid on the West Bank bureau is seen as part of Israel’s longstanding policy of suppressing news about Palestinians and its actions in the region. The closure order also comes just two days after the United Nations General Assembly voted for an end to the Israeli occupation.
Despite the closure, Al Jazeera has stated that it will continue to report on the situation in the occupied territories through the efforts of Palestinian and foreign journalists on the ground. The raid on the bureau highlights Israel’s tight control over the West Bank and its ongoing efforts to prevent the truth about the situation in the region from reaching the world.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
