Removal of a thorn in the eye? Israel decides to expel Al Jazeera broadcasting.

Al Jazeera Broadcasting Headquarters in Doha, Qatar. Yonhap News

Citing the bias in reporting related to the Gaza conflict, Al Jazeera stated that it will take “political measures” and warned of legal actions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on the 5th (local time) on the X social networking service, “The instigative media Al Jazeera will be shut down in Israel.”

At a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was unanimously decided to close Al Jazeera’s office and prohibit its reporting activities.

Subsequently, the Minister of Communications in Israel signed an administrative order to immediately close Al Jazeera’s local office, seize equipment, and block Al Jazeera’s channel on cable and satellite broadcasts.

Al Jazeera has announced that it will respond legally. Waleed Omar, the Al Jazeera bureau chief in Israel and Palestine, stated, “This decision by the Israeli government is very dangerous and politically motivated,” adding, “The legal team has been preparing a lawsuit against the Israeli government’s actions.”

Earlier, the Israeli Knesset passed the so-called “Al Jazeera Law” on the 1st of last month, allowing the government to forcibly prohibit coverage and reporting by foreign media that harms national security.

Based on this law, the Israeli Prime Minister, Minister of Communications, and relevant authorities can suspend foreign broadcasters if they are judged to have a significant adverse impact on national security.

They can also order to block access to internet servers and websites related to the closure of local bureaus.

This law was enacted based on the assessment that Al Jazeera had provided biased reporting favoring Hamas during the Gaza conflict that began with the preemptive attack by Hamas on October 7 last year.

Until now, the Israeli government and Al Jazeera have been at odds over key events during the conflict.

After the explosion at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza City at the beginning of the conflict that claimed the lives of hundreds, Al Jazeera attributed it to Israeli airstrikes, while Israel countered that it was due to Hamas rocket attacks.

Al Jazeera continued to report on Israeli military strikes targeting civilian facilities such as hospitals and refugee camps in Gaza, while Israel raised suspicions that an Al Jazeera reporter injured in an airstrike was a Hamas commander.

Al Jazeera is the largest news network in the Middle East and the Arab world, operated with the support of the Qatari royal family. It is particularly recognized for representing Arab opinions and positions in the Israel-Palestine conflict.