Top independent human rights experts urged the Palestinian authorities on Monday to end its widely criticized ban on the broadcaster Al Jazeera and ensure that all journalists, local or international, can work freely and safely in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
The development comes one week after a court in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites. A Palestinian Authority ministerial committee had earlier justified the enforced closure of the media company's office in the West Bank, accusing it of broadcasting "inciting" material, "misinformation, sedition and interference in Palestinian internal affairs".
"To shut down a prominent international media outlet and one of the biggest in the region is a disproportionate, unnecessary and severe restriction of freedom of expression and obstructs the right to information of the Palestinian people and regional and global audiences," the experts said in a statement.
"We are deeply alarmed by this attack on freedom of expression by the Palestinian Authority," they insisted.
Websites ordered to close
On 1 January 2025, the Palestinian Attorney-General ordered the suspension of Al Jazeera in the Occupied Palestinian territory. The decision prohibits Al Jazeera's broadcasts and operations including the work of its affiliate journalists, employees and crews.
The suspension followed a letter from the Palestinian Minister of Culture, based on a decision issued by the Tripartite Committee - a specialized ministerial committee that includes the ministries of culture, interior and communications - responsible for licensing ground and satellite radio and television stations.
On 5 January the Magistrate Court of Ramallah ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites for four months, including aljazeera.net, aljazeera.net/live, aljazeera360.com and global.ajplus.net on grounds that their published material "threaten national security and incite the commission of crimes".
"We note with serious concern that the decision by the Palestinian Authority to ban Al Jazeera came after the outlet's critical reporting on the violent crackdown by Palestinian security forces since 5 December 2024 in the Jenin Refugee Camp and across the occupied West Bank. At least eight Palestinians were killed in the violence, including a young female journalist," the experts said.
"The decision to ban Al Jazeera on the basis of vague and unsubstantiated allegations amidst escalating violence and human rights violations suggests that the real objective of the Palestinian Authority is to block international scrutiny and silence uncomfortable criticism," they maintained.
Free and independent
"Free and independent media, including the presence of international media, is of vital importance to ensure transparency and accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
In Gaza, Israel has banned all international journalists from reporting inside the enclave since the outbreak of the war in October 2023. Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces while covering the conflict, according to international media organisations, including UN culture agency, UNESCO .
The experts - who are not UN staff and not paid for their work, urged the Palestinian Authority not to follow the example of the Israeli authorities which banned Al Jazeera in Israel and the Occupied [Palestinian] Territory and closed its office in Ramallah last year.
"Without independent reporting, potential human rights abuses and violations of international law may go unreported, creating an environment where impunity thrives," the experts said.
The experts have raised their concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and on journalists with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
