The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Wednesday, January 1, temporarily suspended all operations of Qatari television Al Jazeera in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, Wafa News Agency reported.
This move is attributed to Al-Jazeera’s “violation of the laws and regulations in Palestine” and its “insistence on broadcasting inciting materials and reports characterized by misinformation, incitement, and interference in Palestinian internal affairs.”
The specialized ministerial committee, comprising ministries of culture, interior, and communications, has decided to suspend broadcasts and freeze all activities of Al Jazeera satellite channel and its West Bank office.
It also includes temporarily freezing the work of all journalists, employees, crews, and affiliated channels until their legal status is rectified.
This decision comes after Israeli forces imposed a military order on Al Jazeera in September 2024 following a raid on its bureau in Ramallah, West Bank.
In recent days, Al Jazeera faces incitement and defamation campaigns, accused of causing discord and forcibly prevented from reporting by Fatah branches in the West Bank and Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
In May 2024, Israel banned Al Jazeera’s website in the country following a raid on its office in East Jerusalem and confiscation of its equipment.
The decision was widely condemned by international organisations as an assault on freedom of media and expression.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have been waging a devastating war on Gaza Strip, leaving more than 45,541 deaths and 108,338 injured, causing massive infrastructure destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe
