Israel raids Al Jazeera office, terminates aired broadcasts amidst Palestinian crisis in Gaza

Israel raided Al Jazeera's office and took the Qatar-based channel off air, accusing it of being a "mouthpiece" for Hamas amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, drawing criticism over press freedom.

The Israeli government has forced the closure of the Al Jazeera television network, which is Qatar-based, in the country, calling it a "mouthpiece" of Hamas during the military conflict in the Gaza Strip.

On the previous Sunday, Israeli police entered Al Jazeera's office at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem. According to Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, confiscation of equipment was the outcome of the raid. The video showed policemen and senior ministry officials entering a hotel room.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his cabinet simply decided to block Al Jazeera while the Gaza conflict was going on. Yes, satellite TV service showed that Al Jazeera's broadcast was halted by the government decision but the channel can be accessed in Israel online.

In its condemnation, Al Jazeera criticized the closure as a "dangerous and ridiculous lie". The network promised to fight every legal step to reverse the shutdown.

The closure has resulted in censure by press freedom associations such as the Foreign Press Association and Committee to Protect Journalists, and even the UN Human Rights office advocating for an immediate reversal of the "unacceptable" ban.

Israeli authorities have been complaining for a long time that Al Jazeera is anti-Israeli in its news. Their criticism became louder upon the attacks of Hamas in October, which almost took the lives of about 1,200 Israelis, and they are still not accounted for.

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Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza have been probably the only journalists on the ground during the 7 months Israeli army campaign which the Palestinian officials say has killed over 34,000 and wounded 78,000.

The shutdown was precipitated by a recent Israeli law that allows the closing of foreign TV stations, which have been considered a security threat during the Hamas conflict. Qatar, which is the home of Al Jazeera, has also been able to mediate talks between Israel and Hamas.