Israeli Troops Shut Down Al Jazeera's Ramallah Office Amid Rising Tensions

Israeli troops raided Al Jazeera's Ramallah office, enforcing a 45-day shutdown amid escalating coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. This unprecedented move follows similar actions and highlights ongoing tensions and restrictive measures against media outlets covering the conflict. Al Jazeera condemned the raid, citing it as interference in journalistic work.

In a major escalation, Israeli troops raided the Ramallah office of satellite news network Al Jazeera early Sunday, enforcing a stringent 45-day shutdown. The Qatar-funded broadcaster, amidst its intensive coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, aired live footage of the raid on its Arabic-language channel.

Leading to this action was a previous order in May, where Israeli authorities had disrupted Al Jazeera's broadcasts from East Jerusalem. Sunday's raid, the first of its kind targeting a foreign news agency in Israel, has drawn sharp reactions including a denunciation from Al Jazeera, which continues its broadcast from Amman, Jordan.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the move, labeling it a new aggression against journalistic freedom. This development adds to an already tense environment, with media outlets facing heightened scrutiny and operational hindrances in the conflict zones.

(With inputs from agencies.)