Following closure: Al Jazeera calls for legal response, Israel police raid Jerusalem office

The head of Al Jazeera in Israel, Walid Omary, responded to the Israeli government's decision on Sunday to close the Qatari-owned station's local operations, claiming that that move is "dangerous" and motivated by politics rather than professional considerations.

Al Jazeera's legal team was preparing a response in anticipation of a court appeal against the decision, Omary told Reuters.

Qatar's Al Jazeera network further condemned the move, calling the decision a "criminal action."

"Israel's suppression of free press to cover up its crimes by killing and arresting journalists has not deterred us from performing our duty," it said.

Israeli police raid Al Jazeera Jerusalem office

Later on Sunday, it was reported that Israeli police raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its de facto office, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source told Reuters.

Video circulated online showed plainclothes officers dismantling camera equipment in a hotel room. The Al Jazeera source said the hotel was in East Jerusalem.

#BREAKING Israel police raid Al Jazeera broadcast rooms in a hotel in Jerusalem after the government decision to close it pic.twitter.com/LvemubP2JF

— Guy Elster (@guyelster) May 5, 2024

Israel's decision to close the network

After much consideration, Israel unanimously voted to shut down the Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera's operations in Israel on Sunday.

At the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli government initially passed an emergency executive measure to shut down Al Jazeera temporarily. Ultimately, the government did not implement the temporary shutdown for fear that it would result in negative diplomatic ramifications with Qatar. 

However, the Israeli cabinet's decision on Sunday was said to be based on classified opinions from the Shin Bet that deemed Al Jazeera a national security threat. 

The decision, which requires recertification every 45 days, includes shutting down Al Jazeera broadcasts in Arabic and English, shutting down Al Jazeera's offices in Israel, seizing equipment used for its broadcasts, and limiting access to its websites.

Before the decision can be implemented officially in the country, it must first be brought before a regional chief justice or deputy chief justice within 24 hours, who then have three days to decide whether or not to change the decision or limit the length of the ban.

Reuters and Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.