Al Jazeera condemns Israeli ban extension, calls for its immediate lifting
Network calls move 'assault' on press freedom, warns of 'dangerous pattern' that undermines ability to report facts.
Key points
- Israel extended its ban on Al Jazeera operations for another 90 days, including broadcast and website restrictions.
- Al Jazeera called the move an assault on press freedom and said it rejects the allegations behind the ban.
- The network said the extension relied on secret material it and its lawyers could not see.
Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned Israel's decision to extend a ban on its operations in Israel by another 90 days. The network said the extension covers suspension of broadcasts, closure of offices and restricted access to its websites and digital platforms. A Tel Aviv court approved the government's decision last week.
In a statement on Monday, the Qatar-based network called the move an assault on press freedom and the public's right to information. It said the ban sets a pattern that undermines news organisations' ability to report facts and hold those in power to account.
Origins of the ban
In May 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted to shut Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, after parliament passed a law allowing temporary closure of foreign broadcasters deemed a threat to national security. Press freedom groups strongly criticised the decision. In September that year, Israeli forces stormed Al Jazeera's offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, confiscating equipment and documents and closing the office.
attempts to silence it will not deter it from fulfilling its mission and continuing its coverage with accuracy and integrity from its bureaus around the world
— Al Jazeera
Network response and history
Al Jazeera said it categorically rejects the allegations used to justify the ban and called for it to be lifted immediately. It said the extension was based on secret material that neither the network nor its lawyers could see or respond to, denying it a genuine chance to defend itself.
The network, which marked its 30th anniversary on Sunday, said attempts to silence it would not stop its coverage. It said it is reviewing the decision with legal counsel and reserves the right to pursue all appropriate legal measures. The statement also noted past Israeli actions against Al Jazeera, including the 2021 destruction of the Gaza building housing its office and the 2022 killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank.
