Al Jazeera condemns Israel’s closure of Ramallah office
Israeli army raids Al Jazeera Ramallah's office, Ramallah, September 22, 2024 (Reuters Photo)
Al Jazeera condemned Israel for closing its office in Ramallah, accusing Tel Aviv of attempting to prevent the world from witnessing the nearly year-long war in Gaza.
In a statement, Al Jazeera said: “Israel’s oppressive measures aim to block the world from seeing the reality of the situation in the occupied territories and the war in Gaza. We strongly condemn this criminal act.”
The network emphasized that the Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is responsible for journalists‘ safety and vowed to pursue legal action to protect their rights.
Despite Israel’s attempts to silence the press, Al Jazeera affirmed its commitment to continue reporting facts professionally and objectively.
The statement also rejected Israel’s “baseless claims” used to justify the office raid.
Al Jazeera’s Palestine Director, Walid Omari, confirmed that Israeli forces raided the office at night, breaking the door and delivering a 45-day closure notice.
During the raid, soldiers also destroyed a photo of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in an Israeli attack.
