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Israeli forces have raided the offices of news broadcaster Al Jazeera in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and ordered it to close for an initial period of 45 days.<\/p>\n
Armed and masked Israeli soldiers entered the building early on Sunday during a live broadcast.<\/p>\n
Viewers watched as the troops handed the closure order to the network\u2019s West Bank bureau chief Walid al-Omari who read it out live on air.<\/p>\n
Israel raided Al Jazeera’s offices in Nazareth and occupied East Jerusalem in May having described the Qatar-based broadcaster as a threat to national security.<\/p>\n
\u201cTargeting journalists this way always aims to erase the truth and prevent people from hearing the truth,\u201d Omari said in comments reported by his employer.<\/p>\n
The soldiers confiscated the last microphone and camera off the street outside and forced Omari out of the office, Al Jazeera journalist Mohammad Alsaafin said.<\/p>\n
Posting about the raid on social media, Alsaafin said the troops also pulled down a poster of Shireen Abu Aqla – an Al Jazeera reporter who was killed while covering a raid by Israeli forces in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
The network and witnesses at the time said the Palestinian-American reporter was shot by Israeli forces. Israel initially argued she had been shot by a Palestinian, however months later concluded there was a “high probability”<\/a> that one of its soldiers killed her.<\/p>\n Relations between the Qatari-owned broadcaster and the Israeli government have long been tense but have worsened dramatically following the outbreak of war in Gaza.<\/p>\n With foreign journalists banned from entering the strip, Al Jazeera staff based in the area have been some of the only reporters able to cover the war on the ground.<\/p>\n Israel has repeatedly branded the network a terrorist mouthpiece, an accusation Al Jazeera has denied.<\/p>\n In April<\/a>, the Israeli parliament passed a law giving the government power to temporarily close foreign broadcasters considered a threat to national security during the war.<\/p>\n A ban would be in place for a period of 45 days at a time, as seen in Sunday’s raid, and can be renewed.<\/p>\n In early May, the Al Jazeera offices in Nazareth<\/a> and occupied East Jerusalem<\/a> were subject to separate raids.<\/p>\n Israel is yet to comment on Sunday’s operation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n