HAMILTON, Canada – The United Nations criticized Israel on Monday for raiding Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank and ordering its closure for 45 days, stating that this action is “limiting media coverage of what is going on in the region.”
“We are extremely concerned about what we’ve seen. This is not the first time Israeli authorities have shut down Al Jazeera,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
Dujarric recalled a similar incident in Jerusalem, noting that it “plays into a bigger picture of limiting media coverage of what is happening in the region, including Gaza.”
He emphasized that international journalists are barred from entering Gaza, which hampers their work and impedes press freedom. The UN reiterated its “extreme” support for press freedom, highlighting the importance of media as the “eyes and ears,” especially in conflict zones.
Israeli soldiers raided Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down while seizing documents and broadcasting equipment.
Al Jazeera has been one of the few international media outlets reporting from the region, extensively covering Israel’s military offensives in Gaza and the West Bank.
Since Israel launched its war on Gaza last October, nearly 41,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 95,000 injured, with a majority being women and children.
Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced and facing famine, alongside acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.
(ia/mnm/Int’l Wire Anadolu)
