Al Jazeera ban extended by Israel for another 60 days

An Israeli court has extended a ban on Al Jazeera for another 60 days, prolonging the closure of its offices in the occupied Palestinian territories for this timescale, according to The New Arab and agencies.

The February 17th ruling marks the sixth consecutive extension since Israeli authorities first imposed the ban in May.

Israel’s government claims the network serves as a propaganda tool for Hamas. Under the country’s “Al Jazeera Law,” the Israeli government can place a ban on foreign media organisations it regards to be national security risk, for renewable 45-day periods. The law has also been used to temporarily confiscate equipment from The Associated Press, raising grave concerns for press freedom.

Israel’s forces have more than once targeted Al Jazeera’s operations. In September, security forces raided its Ramallah offices, ordering a 45-day shutdown. The Palestinian Authority (PA) followed suit in December, prohibiting Al Jazeera from reporting in the occupied West Bank, alleging that it broadcasts “inciting content.”

Al Jazeera has rejected the accusations from the PA and the Israeli government, calling the PA’s ban “nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories.”

The ban has prompted global condemnation, with advocates for press freedom saying that Israel’s quelling of independent media is part of a wider initiative to control editorial narratives about its military conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

Most recently, a well-known journalist from Al Jazeera was detained by the PA on January 19th while covering day one of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to the Middle East Eye. Givara Budeiri, along with her cameraperson, was reporting on the anticipated release of Palestinian detainees, under a prisoner exchange deal. The two were then taken to the Palestinian Preventive Security’s (PPS) Beitunia police HQ, located near Ramallah.

The suppression Al Jazeera comes at a time of rising accusations against Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza. Human rights organisations and legal experts have expressed concerns over the level of destruction, mass displacement, and casualties of civilians.

The New Arab and agencies