Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will shut down satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera immediately. Mr. Netanyahu vowed to close the “terror channel” after parliament passed a law Monday clearing the way for the country to halt Al Jazeera from broadcasting from Israel.
Mr. Netanyahu accused Al Jazeera of harming Israeli security, participating in the October 7 Hamas attacks and inciting violence against Israel.
“The terror channel Al Jazeera will not broadcast any longer from Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu wrote on X. “It is my intention to act immediately under the new law to stop the channel's activities."
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Al Jazeera condemns ‘dangerous’ Israel action against network
Al Jazeera said “this latest measure comes as part of a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera”.
It said this included the killing of one journalist before the October 7 attacks by Hamas in Israel, and the deaths of two more network correspondents and the bombing of its office during the Gaza war since.
Israel claimed in January that an Al Jazeera staff journalist and a freelancer killed in a Gaza air strike were “terror operatives”.
The following month it said another journalist for the channel, wounded in a strike, was a “deputy company commander” with Hamas.
“In an escalating move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a frantic campaign against Al Jazeera, accusing it of harming Israel’s security, actively participating in the October 7 attack, and inciting against Israeli soldiers,” the network said in a statement.
“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns these statements and sees as nothing but a dangerous ludicrous lie,” it added.
It said attacks against the network had been carried out in a “disgraceful manner”.
“Netanyahu could not find any justifications to offer the world for his ongoing attacks on Al Jazeera and press freedom except to present new lies and inflammatory slanders against the network and the rights of its employees.
”The network said it holds Mr. Netanyahu “responsible for the safety of its staff”.
“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage,” it added.
