The Israeli occupation army has issued a new military order extending the closure of Al‑Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank’s southern part, for an additional three months, marking the 13th consecutive extension since soldiers first stormed and shut down the bureau on September 22, 2024, Al‑Jazeera Arabic said.
The renewed order was delivered shortly after Israeli forces invaded central Ramallah at dawn on Tuesday and stormed the Al‑Jazeera Media Network office.
Residents said several military vehicles entered the city center shortly after 3:00 a.m., deploying around the commercial district and surrounding streets before breaking into the office, searching rooms, interrogating staff members, and seizing equipment.
Journalists told Al‑Jazeera that the invasion was sudden and aggressive, and that soldiers prevented them from filming or documenting what was happening. The network confirmed that the army caused damage inside the office before withdrawing.
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces fired tear‑gas canisters and stun grenades around Al‑Manara Square, forcing early commuters, bakery workers, and shopkeepers to flee the area.
Several Palestinians suffered from gas inhalation, while videos recorded by residents show soldiers blocking streets and firing gas toward passing vehicles.
In the morning hours, Israeli forces tightened military restrictions at the northern entrances to Ramallah, closing the Atara and Ein Siniya military roadblocks for several hours and preventing movement between Ramallah and the northern West Bank.
Long lines of vehicles formed as soldiers stopped cars, inspected IDs, and blocked access to nearby villages, causing significant delays for workers, students, and medical staff.
The new closure order prevents Al‑Jazeera journalists from accessing their workplace or broadcasting from the West Bank, extending a ban that has now remained in effect for nearly a full year.
Palestinian media unions condemned the decision, describing it as part of a systematic campaign to silence coverage of Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank.
Al‑Jazeera has repeatedly accused Israel of targeting its journalists and media institutions, including the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and the killing of multiple correspondents and family members in Gaza since October 2023.
The network said the continued closure of its Ramallah office, combined with repeated invasions of the city center, reflects an escalating effort to restrict documentation of Israeli actions on the ground.
