Israel extends ban on Al Jazeera’s operations by 90 days

Since May 2024, an Israeli law has banned the news network, citing a threat to national security, an allegation Al Jazeera denies.Published On 25 Jan 2026Israel has extended its ban on Al Jazeera Media Network’s operations and the closure of its offices in the country by another 90 days.The order, signed by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karahi and announced on Sunday, also prohibits broadcasting and internet companies, and YouTube from providing services to the network inside Israel.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel extends law that banned Al Jazeera for two more yearslist 2 of 4Al Jazeera condemns Israeli government decision to shut down local officeslist 3 of 4Is Israel’s government waging war on Al Jazeera and the media?list 4 of 4Gaza war docudrama The Voice of Hind Rajab nominated for Academy Awardend of listIn May 2024, at the height of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet had voted to shut Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, weeks after the Israeli parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a “threat to national security”.In September that year, Israeli forces also stormed Al Jazeera’s offices in the occupied West Bank’s Ramallah city, confiscating equipment and documents and closing the network’s office.In December last year, the Israeli parliament approved an extension of the 2024 law, also called the “Al Jazeera law”, for two more years.Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief for Jerusalem and Ramallah, Walif al-Omari, said the latest Israeli decision came nine days after Israel’s Ministry of Communications said Israeli security services and military continued to believe the network’s broadcasts were “detrimental to the security” of Israel.In May 2024, Al Jazeera had accused Netanyahu of making “slanderous accusations” against the network and had said Israel’s suppression of a free press stood “in contravention of international and humanitarian law”.“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage, and reserves the right to pursue every legal step,” the Qatar-based network had said in a statement.