Israeli Forces Storm Al Jazeera Office in Ramallah, Order 45-Day Closure

Israeli forces stormed the Al Jazeera bureau in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday morning, delivering a military order to close the office for 45 days, according to the Qatar-based news network. Live footage aired by Al Jazeera showed heavily armed Israeli troops entering the office, handing the closure order to the bureau chief, and demanding the removal of all cameras.

“There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days,” an Israeli soldier told Al Jazeera’s West Bank bureau chief, Walid al-Omari. The footage captured the moment Israeli troops, some masked and armed, instructed staff to vacate the premises immediately.

The closure order accused Al Jazeera of “incitement to and support of terrorism,” according to Omari. “Targeting journalists this way always aims to erase the truth and prevent people from hearing the truth,” he said.

This action marks the latest move in a broader crackdown by Israeli authorities against Al Jazeera, which they accuse of promoting anti-Israel and pro-Hamas rhetoric. In recent months, the network has faced increasing restrictions, including a ban on reporting from inside Israel.