Al Jazeera's West Bank Office Raided By Israeli Forces: 'Take Cameras And Leave At This Moment'

Qatari news agency Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces raided its office in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, issuing a 45-day closure order.

"Heavily armed and masked Israeli soldiers entered the building and handed the closure order to the network's West Bank bureau chief Walid al-Omari early on Sunday. They did not provide a reason for the decision," the broadcaster said.

Photo Credit: PTI

During the raid, an Israeli soldier informed al-Omari, "There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days."

The soldier, speaking in Arabic, also instructed, "I ask you to take all the cameras and leave the office at this moment."

This incident follows Israel's ban on Al Jazeera in May, citing national security concerns.

In addition to the ban, Israeli authorities raided a hotel room in Jerusalem used by the network as an office during that same period.

Al Jazeera condemned the ban, calling it a "criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information."

The Qatari broadcaster criticised what it described as "Israel's ongoing suppression of the free press," stating that such actions were aimed at "concealing its actions in the Gaza Strip" and violated international law.

The raid comes after Israel confirmed the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul in an airstrike in Gaza, alleging that he was a Hamas operative involved in the October 7 attack on Israel.

The Israeli military claimed that Al-Ghoul, a member of Hamas' Nukhba unit, had instructed militants on recording operations and was instrumental in publicising attacks on Israeli forces.

"His activities in the field were a vital part of Hamas' military activity," the military asserted in an August 1 statement.

Al Jazeera, however, rejected the Israeli claims as "baseless allegations," and said they were an attempt to "justify the deliberate killing of its journalists."

The network issued a statement refuting the accusations, stating that Israel provided no "proof, documentation or video" to support its claims.

Al Jazeera also reserved the right to take legal action against those responsible for Al-Ghoul's death, stating that both Al-Ghoul and cameraman Ramy El Rify were killed in an Israeli strike while on assignment in Gaza City.