TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his government had unanimously voted to shut down the local affiliate of Qatari-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision on X (formerly Twitter), but details such as the impact of the measures on the channel, when they would take effect, and whether the measures would be permanent or temporary were not immediately clear.
There was no immediate comment from the channel's headquarters in Doha, Qatar. A correspondent for Al Jazeera's Arabic service said the order would affect the agency's operations in Israel and East Jerusalem. The station has been filming live for months since the October 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza.
Al Jazeera's operations in the Palestinian territories will not be affected, the correspondent said.
The vote will allow Israel to block the channel from operating in the country for 45 days, according to Israeli media.
“My government has unanimously decided to shut down the incitement channel Al Jazeera in Israel,” Prime Minister Netanyahu posted on X. Al Jazeera, vehemently denying that Al Jazeera is inciting Israel.
The decision escalated a long-standing feud between Israel and Al Jazeera. There were also fears of escalating tensions with Qatar, which owns the strait, as the Doha government plays a key role in mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias.
Al Jazeera was one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting bloody scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals, and condemning the massacres committed by Israel. Israel accuses Al Jazeera of collaborating with Hamas.
Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, did not respond to a request for comment.
While Al Jazeera's English-language section is very similar to programming seen on other major broadcast networks, its Arabic-language section often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and other militant groups in the region. It faced similar harsh American criticism when the United States occupied Iraq after the 2003 invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein.
It remains unclear how such orders would be enforced by Israel.
Associated Press writer John Gambrell in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
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