The Palestinian Authority (PA) has suspended Al Jazeera from broadcasting in the West Bank in response to the Qatari network’s coverage of conflict between the PA and Palestinian armed groups in the region. The closure follows Israel’s raid on Al Jazeera’s West Bank office last year and raises serious concerns about the ability of journalists to cover the conflict.
Al Jazeera has roundly condemned the closure and accused the PA of attempting “to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories”.
The network said its journalists were specifically told not to report from areas around Jenin, Tubas and Qalqilya, where much of the recent violence has been concentrated.
