JERUSALEM, Sept 23 – Israeli soldiers stormed the offices of Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down, Israel’s Army Radio reported.
“Israeli forces carrying guns have entered Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, ordering staff to vacate and imposing a 45-day closure,” Al Jazeera said in a statement posted on social media X.
Al Jazeera aired footage on its Arabic-language channel showing armed troops, some masked, entering the offices and delivering the decree.
Army Radio quoted anonymous military officials as saying the move was made “in accordance with the guidance of the political echelon and legal advice after it was determined that the channel’s broadcasts harm the security of the State of Israel.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the operation.
In May, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s offices in East Jerusalem, confiscating equipment, preventing its broadcasts in Israel and blocking its websites.
