Israel has called for the closure of Qatar’s Al Jazeera news network’s local offices on Sunday. This has increased tensions between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government at a critical moment in the ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, facilitated by Doha. This remarkable demand, which involves the seizure of broadcasting equipment and the prevention of the channel’s news broadcast and website access, is thought to be Israel’s first closure of a foreign news outlet.
In the wake of the order, Al Jazeera was removed from Israel’s main cable provider, but the network continued to provide service through its website and multiple online platforms. Al Jazeera has been relentless in its coverage of the Israeli-Hamas conflict since the initial border attack on October 7th, ensuring round-the-clock coverage amid Israel’s aggressive ground assault in the Gaza Strip, which has affected its own personnel.
Along with ground-reporting the war’s consequences, Al Jazeera’s Arabic division regularly broadcasts raw video messages from Hamas and other regional militant groups, drawing strong criticism from Mr Netanyahu. Netanyahu accuses Al Jazeera reporters of undermining Israel’s security and of inciting action against soldiers, seeing it’s time to remove the Hamas spokesperson from Israel.
In response, Al Jazeera has pledged to exhaust all possible legal avenues through international institutions in order to protect the rights of its journalists and the public’s access to information. The network accuses Israel’s continuous repression of the free press as being against international and humanitarian law, in an attempt to veil their activities in the Gaza Strip. The network is not deterred by the targeted executions and arrests of journalists, as well as threats and intimidation, even with more than 140 Palestinian journalists being killed since the war’s onset.
According the Israel’s media, this order could see Al Jazeera banned from operating in the country for up to 45 days. Israel has been known to take action against individual reporters since 1948, yet it generally permits an energetic media scene inclusive of foreign bureaux globally, even from Arab nations. However, this was upturned by the passage of a law last month, which Netanyahu’s office claims allows the government to act against foreign channels seen as detrimental to the country.
After the recent announcement, Al Jazeera’s English sector initiated a broadcast of a pre-recorded message by one of its correspondents stationed in a hotel in east Jerusalem, a city the Palestinians aspire to claim as their future nation. The correspondent, Imran Khan, remarked that the restriction included all gadgets, including his mobile phone. He noted that any news reporting attempt with that device could result in its confiscation by Israeli authorities.
Notably, the ban did not seem to interfere with the channel’s activities in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, areas under Israel’s control but not considered its sovereign territory.
The move might exacerbate the discordance with Qatar, particularly during a period when the Qatari government, alongside Egypt and the US, is heavily involved in mediation endeavours to end the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu particularly has had strained relations with Qatar, as he insinuated that Qatar is not putting enough pressure on Hamas to soften its ceasefire deal terms.
Even though both parties seem to be nearing an agreement, numerous past discussions have yielded no concord. On Sunday, Hamas criticized the Israeli government’s order and urged international bodies to take actions against Israel. The National Unity party cabinet members shortly criticized the decision, suggesting it could potentially undermine negotiation efforts and was driven by political considerations. However, the party overall backed the decision.
Al Jazeera and Israel have a tumultuous history, with allegations of bias from Israel. The relationship further declined when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was fatally injured during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank around two years ago. This was worsened by the cross-border attack carried out by Hamas in southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and captured a further 250 people.
The military operation against Hamas since then has caused the deaths of over 34,000 people, as reported by local health officials in Gaza without any breakdown into civilians and combatants. In December, an Al Jazeera cameraman was killed during an Israeli attack as he reported on the Southern Gaza conflict.
Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Gaza, suffered injuries in an attack and later had to evacuate Gaza only after the tragic death of his wife, three children, and a grandson in Israeli strikes. Known to Palestinians for his reporting during numerous conflicts, Dahdouh’s experience emphasises the challenging conditions faced by the few international news outlets that remained operational in Gaza throughout the war, such as Al Jazeera.
This media organisation has consistently presented graphic images of war to the world, showcasing the bloody aftermath of bombings and the issues faced by hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. Accusations of Israel committing mass killings have been made by Al Jazeera, allegations that have been countered by Israel claiming that the Qatar government’s funded outlet is in league with Hamas.
Such criticisms towards Al Jazeera aren’t a recent phenomenon. In the past, the US government pointed fingers at the broadcasting network during its occupation of Iraq post the downfall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. It also criticised its decision to broadcast videos of Osama bin Laden, the late al-Qaeda leader.
Many times, Al Jazeera has faced closure or bans by other governments in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, and Bahrain. This was part of a long-standing boycott of Doha during a political dispute that eventually concluded in 2021.
An instance of clampdown on Al Jazeera was seen in 2013 when Egypt’s authorities stormed a luxury hotel that served as the media outlet’s base following President Mohammed Morsi’s ousting amid mass protests. Intense coverage of Muslim Brotherhood-led protests against Morsi’s removal seemingly made Al Jazeera a target.
The network’s controversy also included the imprisonment of its staff members: Australian Peter Greste, Egypt/Canada’s Mohamed Fahmy, and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed. The trio were charged with 10-year sentences, only to be freed in 2015 after facing substantial international criticism. – AP.