The Israeli government made the decision this Sunday unanimously close the broadcast of the Qatari channel Al Jazeera in Israel, after parliament last month approved a law allowing the closure of foreign media outlets.

“The government I lead has made a unanimous decision: Al Jazeera’s incitement channel will be closed in Israel,” the Israeli Prime Minister wrote on his X account. Benjamin Netanyahu, with no details on when the decision would take effect.

In his message, Netanyahu thanked the Israeli communications minister. Shlomo Karkhi, who promoted a rule allowing the government to shut down national broadcasting. Qatar Network, one of the main sources of information about the war in Gaza due to the large number of journalists it keeps in the enclave.

The so-called Al Jazeera Law gives Israel’s communications minister the power to order content providers for a renewable period of 45 days. the end of its broadcast from the country, in addition to closing offices, confiscating equipment and blocking the website server.

As detailed in the bill, the order to close a foreign news channel must be submitted to the district court for trialyou must decide within 72 hours whether you want to change or shorten your order period.

It is difficult to obtain first-hand information about what is happening in the Gaza Strip because Israel bars international press from devastated Palestinian enclavewhere more than 33,000 people have already died.

Al Jazeera is one of the channels wider placement of journalists in the sector, and since October it has reported hospital bombings, attacks on residential buildings and the deaths of unarmed Gazans in what experts say amount to war crimes.

Moreover, some of his journalists such as Hamza Wael Daduh or Mustafa Turia died in Israeli bombings.. Other star correspondents such as Wael Dadu saw most of their relatives die, including his firstborn son and fellow reporter Hamza.

On April 2, the Al-Jazeera Law was passed, which allows for the temporary blocking of rebroadcasts of any foreign media in Israel. it is “prejudicial to the security of the state.”

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The Israel Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents journalists covering the country and Palestinian territories for foreign media, then described the decision as “a blatant attempt to silence the media” and warned that it sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to the closure of more foreign media outlets.

(EFE)