Netanyahu revives move to shut down Qatar's Al Jazeera television in Israel

2024-04-01 16:12:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday revived the move to shut down Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite television station in Israel, saying through his party's spokesman that parliament would meet in the evening to ratify the necessary law.

After that, Netanyahu "will take immediate action to shut down Al Jazeera in accordance with the procedure established by law," the Likud party said in a statement.

Israel has previously accused the medium of incitement against Israel among Arab viewers.

Neither the station's main office in Israel nor the Qatari government in Doha immediately responded to a request for comment.

Al Jazeera has previously accused Israel of systematically targeting its offices and staff.

Israeli officials have long complained about Al Jazeera's coverage but have not taken action, given Qatari funding of Palestinian construction projects in the Gaza Strip - seen by all sides as a means of avoiding conflict.

On October 7, the war began in this area, after militants led by Hamas, a Palestinian group declared a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages. people.

Israel responded with an air, ground and naval offensive that has killed at least 32,782 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up about two-thirds of those killed.

Doha has brokered ceasefire negotiations under which Israel has recaptured some of the hostages.

However, talks on a proposed second ceasefire appear to be going nowhere. In January, Netanyahu publicly called for pressure on Qatar to put more pressure on Hamas. Qatar hosts the group's political office and several senior Hamas officials.

Asked whether the threat against Al Jazeera could be part of such pressure, an Israeli government spokesman, Avi Hyman, did not directly answer, though he said the outlet has been distributing "propaganda for many, many years."

Israel's communications minister accused the outlet on October 15 of pro-Hamas incitement and exposing Israeli troops in ambushes.

Al Jazeera and the Doha government did not respond to the allegations.

The following month, Israel appeared to spare the Qatari station, instead ordering an end to local broadcasts by a smaller pro-Iranian Lebanese channel, Al Mayadeen, under emergency media rules.

The draft law expected to be ratified on Monday passed its first reading in the Knesset in February./ Rel