Al Jazeera’s West Bank office raided by Israeli military

Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera on Sunday (22) described as “criminal” the invasion of Israeli troops into the news network’s offices in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The operation resulted in the issuance of an order to close the channel’s premises for 45 days.

In a statement released after the incident, Al-Jazeera said it “strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act,” stressing that it will not be “intimidated or deterred by efforts to silence its coverage.”

“The attack on the office and the seizure of our equipment is not just an attack on Al Jazeera, but an affront to freedom of the press and the very principles of journalism,” the statement said.

“In the early hours of Sunday morning, Israeli occupation forces raided the Al Jazeera Media Network office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and ordered its immediate closure. This action follows the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet in May 2024 to end Al Jazeera’s operations inside Israel,” the statement said.

“The Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act by the Israeli occupation forces. Al Jazeera rejects the draconian actions and the unfounded allegations put forward by the Israeli authorities to justify these illegal incursions. Al Jazeera reaffirms its unwavering commitment to continue reporting on the war in Gaza, the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian territories and the regional escalation,” the statement continued.

“The raid on our office and the seizure of our equipment is not just an attack on Al Jazeera, but an affront to press freedom and the very principles of journalism,” the broadcaster criticized.

For Al Jazeera, the oppressive measures are aimed at “preventing the world from witnessing the reality of the situation in the occupied territories and the war in Gaza, as well as the devastating impact on innocent civilians”.

Press freedom groups and human rights activists have condemned the forced closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office. In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply alarmed” by the attack.

“Israel’s efforts to censor Al Jazeera seriously undermine the public’s right to information about a war that has destroyed so many lives in the region,” the group said. “Al Jazeera journalists have the right to report at this critical time, and always.”

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it “denounces Israel’s relentless attack” on Al Jazeera. RSF has previously called for the repeal of an Israeli law that allows the government to shut down foreign media in Israel, “targeting Al Jazeera”.

Israel’s far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, has stoked tensions in a conflict that has spread across the Middle East.

In addition to the West Bank, in recent days the Israeli army has acted with great violence in Lebanon, where more than 180 people died this Monday (23) after the largest air strike in the country north of the Jewish state since the beginning of the war, on October 7 last year.