Al Jazeera bureau chief says Israeli shutdown is political

STORY: “This is a very dangerous decision against Al Jazeera…”

The head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday slammed an Israeli government decision to shutter the network's local operations.

Walid Omari says he believes the decision against the Qatari-owned outlet was political.

“…it's clear that they want to prevent from any others to know what is happening in this war in the Gaza, inside Israel and in the West Bank.”

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his view that the network’s journalists threaten national security.

His cabinet voted to shut down the network for as long as the war in Gaza continues.

Later on Sunday, an Israeli official and an Al Jazeera source both told Reuters Israeli authorities raided a Jerusalem hotel room, which was being used as Al Jazeera’s de facto office.

OMARI: “This is dangerous because this is inciting the extremists in Israel to start attacking journalists, especially from Al-Jazeera.”

A government statement said Israel intended to closing Al Jazeera offices, confiscate broadcast equipment and blocking the channel from Israeli cable and satellite companies.

It did not specifically mention the network’s operations in Gaza.

OMARI: “We have legal team and they are working to respond to these steps and these regulations.”

Al Jazeera has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza… and has reported around the clock throughout the war in the enclave.

In April, the network accused Israel of trying to ‘systematically’ silence it…

Arguing that Israeli authorities had deliberately targeted and killed several of its journalists.

Israel has said it does not target journalists.

The UN Human Rights Office also criticized the closure.

There was no official comment from the Qatari government.