Israeli court extends ban on Al Jazeera: Ministry

An Israeli court has confirmed and extended for 35 days the government’s shutdown of Qatar-based television news channel Al Jazeera, the justice ministry said on Friday.

Al Jazeera, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, went off the air in Israel under an initial 45-day order early last month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has had a long-running feud with Al Jazeera that has worsened since the Gaza war began in October.

“The Tel Aviv district court confirmed the communications minister’s instructions to stop Al Jazeera channel broadcasts, close its bureaus in Israel, block access to its websites and seize the equipment,” the justice ministry said.

The order, issued Thursday after a prosecutor’s request for its confirmation and extension, was for an additional 35 days, the ministry said on its website.

The shutdown does not affect broadcasts from the Israeli-occupied West Bank or the Gaza Strip, from which Al Jazeera still covers Israel’s war with Hamas Palestinian militants.



AFP