Israel has extended its ban on Al Jazeera Media Network’s operations and offices in the country for another 90 days. The order, signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and announced on Sunday, prolongs restrictions first imposed in May 2024 when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted to shut down the network’s activities during the Gaza war.
The move follows a 2024 Knesset law allowing temporary closure of foreign broadcasters deemed threats to national security. In September that year, Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office, seizing equipment and documents. In December, the Knesset extended the law’s validity for two more years, a measure widely referred to as the “Al Jazeera law.” According to Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief Walif al-Omari, Israeli authorities claim the network’s broadcasts harm national security.
Al Jazeera has long faced Israeli restrictions, including threats to close its Jerusalem office in 2017 and the destruction of its Gaza building in 2021. The network has also lost several journalists in Israeli attacks, including reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022.