The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns Israel’s closure of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Ramallah and repeated its call on the Israeli authorities to allow media to report freely in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.

At 3 a.m. on the morning of September 22, Israeli soldiers raided Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau during a live broadcast, ordering staff to leave, the network reported. The soldiers delivered bureau chief Walid Omari a 45-day closure order. Israel’s military authorities have accused Al Jazeera of “incitement to and support of terrorism”.

The closure order follows months of escalating harassment against Al Jazeera and its journalists. In May, the Israeli cabinet unanimously voted to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations. On May 5, Israel began to block Al Jazeera’s broadcasts, citing violations of national security and accusing the media outlet of aiding Hamas. And earlier this month, the Israeli government announced plans to revoke all press passes previously issued to Al Jazeera journalists.

“IPI is deeply alarmed by Israel’s forced closure of Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau”, IPI Interim Executive Director Scott Griffen said. “We call on the Israeli authorities to reverse this draconian move, which seriously undermines the public’s right to information, and allow the network’s journalists to report freely in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.”

“This case is not just about one media network. It reflects a wider effort by the Israeli authorities to limit press freedom, which includes impeding media access to Gaza. Israel’s actions against Al Jazeera set a deeply problematic precedent that can be applied to other international media that report contrary to the authorities’ liking. We strongly urge Israel to respect the press freedom rights of Al Jazeera and all media covering this conflict.”

Israel has already significantly limited the international media’s ability to work and report from the Gaza strip. There is a near-total ban on international journalists entering Gaza, which has severely restricted information and coverage about the war from inside the Strip. A petition for military authorities to allow foreign journalists to report inside Gaza was rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court in January 2024. IPI has repeatedly called on Israel to allow international media access to Gaza and ensure the safety of journalists.