‘Inciting content’: Palestinian Authority suspends Al Jazeera channel’s operations in West Bank

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has ordered Al Jazeera to halt broadcasts and cease all operations across Palestinian territories, accusing the network of airing “inciting content.”

The decision was announced amidst an ongoing military operation by PA security forces against Palestinian fighters in Jenin. According to the official Wafa news agency, a ministerial committee comprising the ministries of culture, interior, and communications decided to suspend Al Jazeera’s activities and freeze the work of its journalists and affiliated staff until the network complies with local laws.

The PA alleged that Al Jazeera had broadcast reports containing “misinformation, incitement, sedition, and interference in internal affairs.” The network has also been accused of refusing to label members of the Jenin Battalion as “outlaws,” a term used by the PA, which has been conducting operations against fighters in Jenin since early December with Israeli military backing.

An Al Jazeera employee confirmed the suspension order for the network’s Ramallah office, as reported by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Arabic edition of The New Arab.

The move comes amid a wider campaign against Al Jazeera, including accusations of sowing discord, defamation, and physical threats against its reporters. The network’s ability to report has been obstructed by Fatah factions in the northern West Bank and the PA-aligned Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.

This decision follows an earlier raid by Israeli forces on Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office, adding to growing tensions between the network and authorities in the region.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera deplores the Palestinian Authority’s decision to close its office in the West Bank and considers it in line with the occupation’s actions against its staff.