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'Take your cameras and leave': Israeli troops ask Al Jazeera to close Ramallah office for 45 days

Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli authorities did not provide a reason for the sudden closure order

A video provided by Al Jazeera English shows Israeli troops raiding their bureau in Ramallah, West Bank, on September 22, 2024 | Al Jazeera via AP

Israeli troops raided the office of Qatar-backed Al Jazeera TV in Ramallah, West Bank, on Sunday morning, issuing an order to close it for 45 days.

The incident came to light after the live footage of the "heavily armed and masked" Israeli forces entering the building was aired by the broadcaster. The order was handed to the Al Jazeera's West Bank bureau chief Walid al-Omari who was told that there is a court ruling against the network.

However, Al Jazeera reported that they did not provide a reason for the decision.  This is the first time that Israel has ever closed a foreign news outlet in the country.

In May, Israel had banned Al Jazeera from operating in its territory over threat to national security. The same month, the authorities raiders a Jerusalem hotel room that doubled as Al Jazeera office.

The Qatari network called that ban a "criminal act" which violated basic human rights.

Ismail AL-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera journalist, was killed in an IDF airstrike, following which Tel Aviv claimed that he was a member of the Nukhba unit of the Hamas and allegedly had a hand in the October 7 attack last year.