Al Jazeera offices in Israel to close after unanimous vote by Netanyahu’s Cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet on Sunday unanimously voted to shut down Israeli broadcaster Al Jazeera, he told X.

“The government I lead has unanimously decided to shut down the incitement channel Al Jazeera in Israel,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday.

Al Jazeera denies incitement against Israel, the Associated Press reported, but the announcement intensifies a long-standing feud between Al Jazeera and Israel, which is funded by the Qatari government.

According to the Associated Press, Al Jazeera’s English-language broadcasts are very similar to other major networks, but the Arabic version often broadcasts verbatim video statements from Hamas and other armed groups in the region.

It was not immediately clear what impact the Israeli government’s vote would have. The Associated Press reported that an Al Jazeera correspondent gave an understanding on Sunday’s broadcast of how the vote would affect operations in Israel. Some said the order does not affect Al Jazeera’s operations in the Palestinian territories, while others said the order prohibits the channel from “setting up or operating an office” in Israel. , said the website would also be blocked.

The vote came as ceasefire negotiations, which Qatar is helping mediate between Israel and Hamas, continue.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.