Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are proving difficult, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is restricting news channel Al Jazeera

On the sidelines of the negotiations, the Israeli government today unanimously decided to close the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera in Israel. It is one of the few channels that still has journalists in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Netanyahu labels the channel on

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says this is a measure “with immediate effect.” Al Jazeera “can no longer operate from Israel,” he reports via X. According to Karhi, the channel is damaging “the security of the state.”

The government will ask TV operators in Israel to stop broadcasting Al Jazeera and also plans to physically close the channel’s Israeli offices and confiscate the channel’s equipment. Access to Al Jazeera’s website will be blocked.

Al Jazeera will legally challenge the decision. In an official statement, the channel talks about a “criminal action”. According to the channel’s director, the “extreme right” Israeli government has been trying to silence its journalists for some time and the regime does not hesitate to arrest or even kill journalists in Gaza.

The Israeli parliament had approved a law in April that would allow foreign channels to be banned if they pose a threat to national security. The measure will then apply for 45 days, but can be extended.