The Palestinian Authority (PA) has temporarily suspended the operations of Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV in the occupied West Bank over accusations of broadcasting “inciting material.”
The decision, reported by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, follows criticisms by Fatah, the PA’s dominant faction, regarding Al Jazeera’s coverage of clashes in Jenin between Palestinian security forces and militant groups.
The PA claims the network aired misleading reports that could potentially stir division within Palestine and the broader Arab world.
A ministerial committee from the culture, interior, and communications ministries made the decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s broadcasts, although the move is not expected to affect Gaza, where Hamas exercises control.
Al Jazeera condemned the PA’s decision, calling it a direct attack on press freedom.
The network described the suspension as an attempt to suppress coverage of events in the West Bank, particularly the violence in Jenin, and aligned the PA’s actions with Israeli attempts to stifle its reporting.
In its statement, Al Jazeera said it would continue to report on developments in the West Bank, undeterred by the suspension.
The network said, "Al Jazeera Media Network denounces the Palestinian Authority’s decision to freeze its work and coverage in the West Bank and considers this decision nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories."
The tension between Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Authority comes amid rising dissatisfaction within Palestinian territories regarding the PA’s crackdown on armed factions in Jenin.
Critics argue that the PA’s security actions are damaging to Palestinian unity and are being carried out in cooperation with Israeli forces. Several Palestinian civilians and fighters have been killed in these operations, escalating tensions in the region.
This suspension comes on the heels of a broader crackdown on the network. In September 2024, Israeli forces issued a military order to close Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, further complicating the network’s operations in the Palestinian territories.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ