Ban On Al Jazeera Extended By 45 Days As Israel Hamas War Continues, Israeli Minister Cites ‘Threat To Security Of State’

Amid the ongoing Israel Hamas War, the Israeli ban on Al Jazeera has been further extended by 45 days; the Israeli Minister has cited 'threat to security of state' and has called the media channel a 'terrorist channel'.

Israel Hamas War Latest Update: The decades-old Israel Palestine Conflict turned into the Israel Hamas War on October 7 when the terrorist organisation Hamas fired 5000 rockets from the Gaza Strip on Israel. It has been eight months and the war continues to rage, the number of deaths keeps rising and so does the destruction; despite multiple attempts by international organisations and other countries for ceasefire, the war does not seem to stop anytime soon. In a latest development, the Israeli ban on the media channel Al Jazeera has been extended by a period of 45 days and the Israeli Communications Minister has cited ‘threat to security of state’.

Israel Extends Al Jazeera Ban By 45 Days

As mentioned earlier, As the war between Israel and Hamas goes unabated, the closure of Al Jazeera operations in Israel is being further extended by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday. “The closure orders will be extended in the future as well,” he added. The minister, however, according to Anadolu Agency, did not specify if the ban was extended for too long. Israel Hayom newspaper, however, reported that the closure was extended for 45 days.

‘Channel Broadcasts A Real Threat To Security Of State’

Regarding the ban, the Israeli minister asserted, saying that it was “unanimously adopted by the government, based on updated opinions from all security sources, which state unequivocally that the channel’s broadcasts are a real threat to the security of the state.” “We will not allow the Al Jazeera terrorist channel to broadcast in Israel and endanger our soldiers,” Kahri said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday last week upheld a 35-day ban on Al Jazeera television, instead of the 45 days requested by Karhi, reported Anadolu Agency. On May 5, the Israeli government voted unanimously to close the Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, nearly six months after first announcing its intentions to do so due to security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signed an executive order immediately after the vote passed, and it thus came into effect right away. Al Jazeera has drawn a lot of criticism from Israeli leaders, especially for its thorough reporting of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

(Inputs from ANI)