Al Jazeera broadcast live footage of Israeli soldiers entering its offices in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and ordering it to close for 45 days.
The footage showed the network’s bureau chief, Walid Omary, and staff members live on air as Israeli soldiers entered.
The video aired by Al Jazeera showed a soldier informing Omary about a military order to close Al Jazeera’s office for 45 days. The soldier then told Omary that staff members needed to leave the office immediately.
Reading the military order given to him on air, Omary said crew members need to grab their personal belongings and cameras and leave.
Al Jazeera’s Ramallah office has been in operation for decades.
It became even more essential to the network after Israel closed its Jerusalem office and seized some of its communications equipment in May, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and human rights groups over what they said were actions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restrict press freedom.
After the Al Jazeera team left the Ramallah office, live footage showed Omary and others on the street outside as the journalist said soldiers had taken over the office and were confiscating materials.
Shortly after, as Israeli soldiers approached Omary, the live video feed cut out, and Omary was heard saying that the soldiers had taken the camera and broadcast equipment the crew was using.
THE CNN has contacted Al Jazeera and the Israeli military for comment.
This content was originally published in Israeli military closes Al Jazeera office in the West Bank on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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