Palestinian Authority Lifts Ban on Al Jazeera
The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced Monday that it will lift its months-long ban on Al Jazeera, allowing the Qatar-based broadcaster to resume operations in the West Bank starting Tuesday. The ban, first imposed on January 1, came during a period of heavy clashes between Palestinian Authority forces and armed groups in Jenin. At the time, officials accused the network of incitement and undermining civil peace.
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to lift the ban on the Al Jazeera network and allow its crews to resume work in the Palestinian territories starting tomorrow morning,” said Walid Al-Omari, the network’s Ramallah bureau chief, in a statement to the Foreign Press Association, which operates in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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The ban on Al Jazeera was imposed by PA Attorney General Akram Khatib. Speaking to The New York Times, Khatib confirmed that a formal reversal of the order would be issued Tuesday. He declined to say what had changed to prompt the reversal.
The ban had drawn criticism from international press freedom advocates, who viewed it as an attempt to stifle dissent. Al Jazeera had said the PA was “attempting to hide the truth of events in the occupied territories,” including Israeli military operations and PA crackdowns in Jenin.
Al Jazeera remains barred from operating in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government shut its offices in May 2024 and accused the network of supporting Hamas. The broadcaster, funded by the Qatari government, has repeatedly denied those allegations.
The network’s Ramallah office is reportedly still closed under Israeli military orders, but its journalists can now work freely under Palestinian jurisdiction.
