Hamas condemns Netanyahu for closing Al Jazeera
May 5 (UPI) -- The Palestinian militia Hamas has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for closing the Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera's offices in Jerusalem.
"It is a blatant violation of freedom of the press, and an oppressive and retaliatory measure against Al Jazeera's professional role in exposing the occupation's crimes and violations committed by its criminal Nazi army and its terrorist settlers against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank," Hamas said in a statement.
"It comes as a culmination of the declared war against journalists who are subjected to systematic Zionist terrorism with the aim of concealing the truth."
Hamas accused Israel of targeting Al Jazeera workers, many of whom are among the 141 reporters killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the war began.
"It exposes the falsity of the occupying entity's claim of freedom of the press and journalistic work, which constitutes a grave violation and suppression of freedoms, which requires placing the entity at the top of the blacklist of countries and entities that practice terrorism and restrict journalistic work," Hamas said.
"We strongly condemn this occupation decision, and call on international human rights and journalistic institutions to condemn it, and to take punitive measures against the Zionist entity, including canceling its membership in international journalistic institutions and gatherings as a step to force this rogue entity to respect journalistic work, and not to attack journalists who continue their role and mission in exposing truth and service to humanity."
Netanyahu had announced earlier Sunday that his government had decided to shutter Al-Jazeera after long criticizing the news channel for its coverage of his war in Gaza.
"The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel," Netanyahu had said on social media.
The decision to raid the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera came after the Knesset passed a bill in April that would allow the government to temporarily close any foreign media outlets in a move reminiscent of Russia's handling of the press amid the war in Ukraine.
"We in Hamas... despite the brutal war on Gaza, we have welcomed and still welcome all media outlets to come to Gaza and reach every place in it... to convey the truth to the world, the truth that Netanyahu fears and fights," the group said in a further statement Sunday.
"We express our absolute solidarity with Al Jazeera, and affirm that this decision is a crime against the freedom of the press and media guaranteed by international laws, adding to the series of occupation crimes by targeting Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem, who have proven to the world their competence and professionalism in conveying the truth of the aggression and its crimes."
