WEST BANK, (PIC)
The Hamas Movement strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) decision to halt Al-Jazeera satellite channel’s broadcasts.
It said in a statement on Wednesday evening that the Palestinian Authority’s decision to close the Al-Jazeera Channel office is a flagrant violation of media freedom and a repressive behavior aimed at silencing the voice of truth.
“This comes within a series of arbitrary measures the PA has recently adopted, with the aim of restricting public rights and freedoms and strengthening the security grip on the Palestinian people,” it added.
Hamas stressed that “this decision is illegal and unjustified, and critically insult the profession of media and journalism, which requires shedding light on the ongoing crimes and violations committed by the Zionist occupation against our people and land in Gaza and the West Bank.”
The resistance Movement called on the PA to “immediately retract the decision.”
It also called on all human rights and media institutions “to stand firmly in the face of these repressive practices that contradict the values of freedom and democracy, and to ensure the continuation of media coverage that contributes to exposing Israeli crimes and supporting the steadfastness of our people.”
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority announced the suspension of Al-Jazeera’s broadcasts and the freezing of its works in the West Bank.
It added that “the decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s broadcast operations came due to its violation of Palestinian laws and regulations.”
The PA claimed that the decision came after Al-Jazeera insisted on broadcasting inciteful content, spreading misinformation, and interfering in internal Palestinian affairs, which they claimed stirred division and instability.
