Benjamin Netanyahu orders Al Jazeera to shut Israel offices

Al Jazeera is one of the few international outlets to have remained in Gaza throughout the war – THOMAS KOEHLER/PHOTOTHEK

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Al Jazeera to shut its offices in Israel after months of fiercely critical coverage of the war by the Qatar-owned news channel.

The government voted unanimously in favour of the decision before calls by the communication minister for the seizure of Al-Jazeera’s broadcasting equipment.

“The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,” Mr Netanyahu posted on his X account.

Shlomo Karhi, the communications minister, then ordered Israel to seize devices “used to deliver the channel’s content”, including editing and routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers and laptops, as well as wireless transmission equipment and some cell phones.

The decision comes amid deeply strained ties between Israel and the channel, which have escalated during the war against Hamas.

Al Jazeera has broadcasted damning reports of Israel’s military operation in Gaza and previously accused Israel of systematically targeting its offices and personnel.

In January, the broadcaster accused Israel of the targeted killing of two of its journalists in Gaza.

The media organisation is also one of the few international outlets to have remained in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals, and accusing Israel of massacres.

Israeli officials have accused the network of anti-Israeli bias – charges which the network denies.

Qatar-owned Al Jazeera has been in a long-running feud with Israel over the coverage in Gaza – KARIM JAAFAR/AFP

Last month, Mr Netanyahu vowed to “act immediately to stop” Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.

“Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers,” he wrote on social media.

Imran Khan, an Al Jazeera reporter, said that the website has been banned and that any device used for news gathering – such as a journalist’s mobile phone – can be confiscated.

“They banned our website…The website is now inaccessible. They are also banning any device used for providing content, that includes my mobile phone – if I use that to do any kind of news gathering, the Israelis can simply confiscate it,” said Mr Khan, during a broadcast.

“Our internet access provider is also in danger of being fined if they host the website. The Al Jazeera TV channel [has been] completely banned, transmission by any kind of content provider is also banned,” he added. “It is a wide-ranging ban and we don’t know how long it will be in place for.”

The cabinet vote on Sunday came after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure in Israel of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security during the war in Gaza.

Walid Omary, the head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian territories, described the government’s decision on Sunday as “dangerous” and politically motivated.

Al Jazeera’s legal team was preparing a response, Mr Omary told Reuters, in a possible anticipation of a court appeal against the decision.

The Al Jazeera network has vowed to persist in its reporting with “boldness and professionalism”.

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.