Israeli forces raid and shut down Al Jazeera's bureau in West Bank

The Israeli military on Sunday raided the office of Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera in the occupied West Bank and issued a 45-day closure order, claiming that the Ramallah office was "used to incite terror". The move comes amid a longstanding feud between the global news channel and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government which has deteriorated during the war in Gaza.

Armed and masked Israeli forces raided the office of global news channel Al Jazeera in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and issued a 45-day closure order.

It was the latest salvo in a long-running feud between the Arab broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government which has worsened during the war in Gaza.

Since the war began on October 7 when Hamas Palestinian militants attacked Israel, Al Jazeera has aired continuous on-the-ground reporting on the effects of Israel's military campaign.

Israel's military has repeatedly accused journalists from the Qatar-based network of links to Hamas or its ally Islamic Jihad.

Al Jazeera has fiercely denied these accusations and said Israel systematically targets its employees in the Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera called the Israeli raid "a criminal act" and an attack on press freedom.


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