Al Jazeera condemns Israel’s ‘criminal’ decision to close offices

Qatar-based network Al Jazeera on Sunday condemned as “criminal” a move by the Israeli government to ban the broadcaster from operating over its coverage of the Gaza war.

“We condemn and denounce this criminal act by Israel that violates the human right to access information,” Al Jazeera said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, in Arabic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday his government had decided unanimously to close the channel.

Al Jazeera has been the focus of months of criticism by Netanyahu and his government in the latest round of a long-running feud that began well before Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said he had issued the order to shutter the channel, confiscate equipment and restrict broadcasting to Al Jazeera’s websites in a separate joint statement with the Israeli premier.

Since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, Al Jazeera aired continuous on-the-ground reporting of the effects of Israel’s campaign.

The network’s office in Gaza has been bombed in the conflict and two of its correspondents have been killed.