Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Al Jazeera, a news network based in Qatar, will be shut down in the country soon.
As reported by CNN, he made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), noting, "The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel."
However, the prime minister's spokesperson, Ofir Gendelman, stated on Sunday that the decision would be "implemented immediately."
This decision follows Netanyahu's earlier vow in early April to shut down Al Jazeera, which came after a new law was passed allowing the government to ban foreign networks deemed to threaten national security.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera, which has been reporting from Gaza during Israel's conflict with Hamas, criticized the decision and promised to keep delivering strong and professional news coverage.
Rights groups condemned the move at the time, with Human Rights Watch calling it “an alarming escalation,” while the Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “deeply concerned” by the new legislation.
The move comes as negotiators met in Cairo on Saturday, in a bid to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Moreover, progress has been made on the technical details of a possible agreement, but it might still take about a week to finalize.
