Israeli police have raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its de facto office following a government decision to shut down the Qatari-owned TV station's local operations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the network would be shut down for as long as the war in Gaza continues, on the grounds it threatens national security.
It allows Mr Netanyahu to shut the network's offices in Israel for 45 days, but that period can be renewed.
"After a discussion at the security cabinet and following my directive, the government will discuss the closing of Al-Jazeera broadcasts in Israel. Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against IDF soldiers. It is time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country."
The order, which includes confiscating broadcast equipment, preventing the broadcast of the channel’s reports and blocking its websites, is believed to be the first time Israel has ever closed a foreign news outlet operating in the country. Al Jazeera has labelled the move a criminal action and has rejected an accusation the network threatened Israeli security, describing the accusation as a dangerous and ridiculous lie which puts its journalists at risk.
The network has been critical of Israel's military operation in Gaza, from where it has reported around the clock throughout the war.Al Jazeera's Arabic managing editor Mohamed Moawad says the organisation's coverage on the war in Gaza will not be affected by a shutdown order.
"Israel's targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and the threats will not deter Al Jazeera from its commitment to cover while there’s more than 140 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war on Gaza. We believe this was this is an attack on press freedom. It is a way of trying to deter Al Jazeera, trying to block our coverage from inside Israel.”
Al-Jazeera's Bureau Chief in Israel and the Palestinian Territories Walid Omari says the move is not only dangerous for Al Jazeera, but also for international media.
"This decision is very dangerous one, Israel cannot claim all the time that she is a democracy, and at the same time they are cutting and they prevent the journalists to do their job."
The United Nations Human Rights Office has also criticised the closure.
The decision threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza, along with Egypt and the United States.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant says his country expects Hamas does not intend to reach a ceasefire agreement.
"We are recognising worrisome signals that Hamas is not planning to accept any deal or agreement with us, and the meaning of this - operation in Rafah and in the entire Gaza Strip in the very near future."
It comes after a Hamas delegation has been in Cairo, with reports of noticeable progress in the ceasefire talks - but Israel is yet to attend those discussions.
Mr Netanyahu has again rejected Hamas’s demands for a definitive end to the war in Gaza, saying any permanent ceasefire would allow the group to remain in power and pose a continuing threat to Israel.
But he also says his government has been working around the clock to formulate an agreement which would return the Israeli hostages taken when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering the current conflict.
