The intrusion of Israeli soldiers into the news channel’s office in Ramallah was seen live.
Satu-Maria Niikko,
Katriina Töyrylä
Israeli forces have raided the news channel Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and closed it for 45 days.
Al Jazeera says that heavily armed and masked Israeli soldiers entered the building early Sunday morning and issued a lockdown order to the news channel’s editor in Ramallah to Walid al-Omar. They did not justify the order.
– It is the court’s decision to close Al Jazeera for 45 days, an Israeli soldier told al-Omar. Al Jazeera Arabic broadcast the debate live.
– I ask you to take all the cameras with you and leave the office immediately, the soldier said.
According to Al-Omar, Israel confiscated documents and supplies from the delivery. Israel used tear gas in the raid. Shots were also heard from the area, the news agency AFP says.
The Israeli government denied the activities of Al Jazeera in Israel, which is partially funded by the Qatari state, last May. Originally, that ban was also 45 days long, but it was extended, and Al Jazeera journalists are still unable to report from inside Israel.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Reuters, AFP