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Israel Bans Al Jazeera, Shuts Down Broadcast Stations
Israel’s cabinet unanimously voted to shut down Al Jazeera in the country on Sunday, immediately ordering the closure of its offices and a ban on the company’s broadcasts.
The decision was announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X. Hours later, Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi published footage on X showing Israeli authorities – specifically inspectors from the Ministry of Communications, backed by the police – raiding the Al Jazeera office in East Jerusalem and confiscating the channel’s equipment.
The shutdown comes a month after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law on April 1 that allowed Israel to temporarily shut down foreign media outlets — including Al Jazeera — if it deems them a threat to security.
In a previously recorded report, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, explained the terms of the law further. Based on the law, the Al Jazeera website is banned in Israel, “including anything that has the option of entering or accessing the website, even passwords that are needed, whether they’re paid or not, and whether it’s stored on Israeli servers or outside of Israel”, Khan added.
Additionally, the Al Jazeera television channel is completely banned in Israel, he explained. Within the country, cable providers now show a message that the network is prohibited from the air, though in East Jerusalem, some people have told Al Jazeera that they could still access the channel on television as of Monday afternoon.
Khan added that the internet access provider that hosts aljazeera.net “is also in danger of being fined if they host the website”.
Akiva Eldar, a political analyst and contributor to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, told Al Jazeera that the shutdown is “a very populistic move to feed the beast of the public opinion that is very disappointed from the conduct of the government in Gaza and in the international arena”, adding that this is also “to please the partners from the radical right”. Netanyahu’s government relies on support from a band of far-right parties and leaders — many of them, like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, holding key positions in the cabinet.
Karhi’s office said that Al Jazeera is shut down for 45 days, and the shutdown can be renewed, in accordance with the law passed on April 1.
When the law was passed, Netanyahu said he would “act immediately” in accordance with it to stop Al Jazeera’s activity. However, the timing of the shutdown, a month later, coincides with crucial negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the war, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, where Al Jazeera has its headquarters.
Al Jazeera has been targeted by Israel before: Netanyahu threatened to shut down its Jerusalem office back in 2017, and an Israeli missile destroyed the building housing the broadcaster’s office in Gaza in 2021. Many Al Jazeera journalists — and in several cases, their families — have been killed in Israeli firing or bombing, including during the current war in Gaza.
On Sunday, Al Jazeera released a statement condemning the shutdown, describing it as a “criminal act” and warning that Israel’s suppression of the free press “stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law”.
The statement further said that Al Jazeera would continue to provide news to a global audience.
Al Jazeera’s correspondents can no longer report from Israel, including occupied East Jerusalem. This is because both the main office in West Jerusalem and the office in occupied East Jerusalem were closed and equipment was confiscated.
Karhi said the equipment he ordered to be confiscated included editing and routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers and laptops, alongside wireless transmission equipment and some mobile phones.
In the pre-recorded report, Al Jazeera’s Khan added that Israel is also banning any device used for providing content. “That includes my mobile phone. If I use that to do any kind of news gathering, then the Israelis can simply confiscate it”.
While it is unclear how the shutdown will affect the reporting from Al Jazeera correspondents who are in Gaza or the occupied West Bank, access to both Palestinian regions is controlled largely by Israel. Al Jazeera has called earlier attacks on its journalists and offices attempts to target its journalism and stop it from reporting on Israel’s assaults on Palestinians — including during the current war.
Since the beginning of the war on October 7, Israel has largely blocked entry into Gaza for foreign journalists.
That has meant that Al Jazeera’s correspondents in Gaza have been among the few from a major international media organisation to bring the deadly Israeli bombardment and killings in the Palestinian enclave to a global audience.
In February, more than 50 international broadcast journalists signed an open letter to Egyptian and Israeli authorities to call for “free and unfettered access to Gaza for all foreign media”.
Journalism advocacy groups and officials from around the world denounced the ban, warning it could stopper the free flow of information and chill democratic ideals.
“Israel makes much of being a democracy, and I think the idea that it can simply close down an international broadcaster of considerable repute and history is atrocious,” Tim Dawson from the International Federation of Journalists said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Sadly, it is part of a long set of actions that the Israeli government has taken to try and thwart free reporting of this conflict.”
Speaking from the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday, national security advisor John Kirby reiterated that the administration of United States President Joe Biden opposed the shuttering of Al Jazeera in Israel.
“We don’t support that action, as we said very clearly on World Press Freedom Day on Friday,” Kirby explained.
“The work of independent journalism around the world is absolutely vital. It’s important to an informed citizenry and public, but it’s also important to help inform the policy-making process. So we don’t support that at all.”
The UN human rights office also condemned the shutdown in a post on the social media platform X on Sunday.
Greek economist and former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis posted on X on Monday, condemning the shutdown. “Israel’s banning of Al Jazeera is one aspect of its War On Truth. It aims at preventing Israelis from knowing that what goes on in Gaza,” he wrote.
On X, many others referenced Israel’s declared plan to launch a ground offensive in Gaza’s Rafah, its latest such land assault in seven months of unrelenting war in which more than 34,700 people have been killed.
Diane Abbott, United Kingdom parliamentarian, also condemned the shutdown in an X post on Monday.
Eldar, who spoke to Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv, said: “This is, I’m afraid, not the last step.”
He said that other news outlets might also see a shutdown by the Israeli government. “We know that there are ministers, among them the minister of communication, that are looking at other networks, including Israeli channels, that are not satisfying the government”.
In November, Karhi, the communications minister, threatened Eldar’s newspaper, Haaretz, with sanctions over its critical coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Eldar also added that he expected the law that the Netanyahu government used to shut down Al Jazeera to be challenged in court.
Al Jazeera also called on media freedom and human rights organisations to condemn the shutdown and is currently assessing what to do next. The statement published by the media network on Sunday said it would pursue “all available legal channels to protect both its rights and journalists”.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
According to some schools of thought, the people one relates with have a greater influence on them, negatively or positively. These schools of thought strongly believe that one’s environment also has a proportional influence in their life.
There’s no gain-saying the fact that in life, association really matters. For instance, if you have nine millionaire friends, it’s more likely you will become the tenth millionaire if you are able to cultivate the right ethics, principles, values and more importantly, the right mindset. This is because making money, managing money, and growing money are three distinct skills one needs to cultivate because no one can attain lasting wealth until they are able to master all three, and to master them, everyone must understand how to relate and associate with the right people.
So, if you have a shrewd friend, who is good at making genuine money, it will also be great to have a friend who is quite good at managing money and growing money. I say this because one may be good at making money, but not so good at managing or growing it in the form of investments. That’s why in one of my teachings on ‘Money in Marriage”, I stated three cardinal rules: Whose money; who provides; and who manages.
Permit me to elaborate on these three fundamental principles. If you are married, please pay attention to what I am about to say. On whose money; as Christians, we are taught that when a man marries a woman, they are joined as one. So, I strongly believe when it comes to money in marriage, it’s not his money or her money, it’s our money. That line must be established because they are now one.
I understand this may not be convenient for everyone, especially ladies, but if couples are genuinely intentional in their marriage, they will know this is the gospel truth. If I may ask, why is it normal for a woman to spend her husband’s money, and it appears odd when a man spends his wife’s money. know that whatever is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Or did it change because of marriage?
Secondly, on who provides; it doesn’t really matter if the woman makes a billion dollars per second, but as the head of the family it’s the duty of the man to provide. Again, I understand there may be dynamics, but the facts must be established despite the associated variables. As a tip for ladies, no matter how much a lady makes, there’s this feeling of sweetness a lady normally experience whenever she spends her husband’s money, however, that analysis is not applicable to men.
Finally on money in marriage, who manages. Again, I care less about who provides, the best manager ought to manage the family’s money. So, if he makes the money but is bad at management, the wife ought to step in, and if the woman makes the money and she’s bad at management, the man ought to step in, and do the needful.
Speaking from experience, I have seen many marriages crash just because of financial mismanagement. Money matter is a serious issue that ought to be discussed before marriage, and even while in marriage to avoid springing surprises and stories that touch the heart.
Though this article is not about marriage, I also thought it nice to elaborate the role of choosing the right partner, and prove that right association really matters, especially as it relates to marriage and business. So imagine a case where an extravagant man meets a prudent lady and vice versa.
The importance of association cannot be overemphasized. In any sphere of life, whether at work, school, family, church or politics, association plays a big role. Anyone who lacks personal relationship with his fellow human beings will surely pay for it in one way or another. This is because relationships are currency. According to Robin Sharma, “the business of business is relationship, but the business of life is human connection”. This goes to show that we cannot do much in life if we don’t have the right relationship.
Even God the creator of heaven and earth, had to send this only begotten son to come in the form of a human being to die for mankind, and he did it by using the Blessed Virgin Mary. That explains that if God wants to bless a man, he sends a “man” and if the devil man wants to destroy a man, he uses a “man”. Both work in human flesh.
In my little experience of life, I have understood the importance of strategic relationships. I know for a fact, human beings are vessels of blessings and the ability to nurture human relationships is a very important skill anyone needs to learn if one intends to go far.
Most of the opportunities I have attained in life were simply because I not only understood the language of my benefactor, but also, I know how to strategically relate with them.
Furthermore, in life, one may be brilliant, skillful and confident, but if one lacks a good attitude especially as it relates to human beings, he might lose potential opportunities to people with lesser academic qualifications, who know how to relate well with people especially with a good attitude.
Again, despite one being talented with amazing gifts and skills, there’s a tendency of other people surpassing them with similar qualities and skills, so your ability to be humble to know you are not better than anyone is enough to make you learn from them.
On a personal note, as a sapiosexual, I try to associate with people better than me. I don’t care if I’m older than you or your superior in one form or another, provided I can learn from you, I will always stoop to conquer.
In another scenario, some people may not be particularly brilliant and perhaps like you, some would wish they were half as blessed as you are. One thing certain, wherever you may belong, between these two extremes, resolve today to state associating with those who are better than you, if for instance you are afflicted with self-doubt, avoid Brother Thomas, instead visit and cultivate Father Abraham the grand patriarch of the faith family.
I once took time to study great people with great businesses, and one thing I discovered is that they know how to hunt people with specialized knowledge, and also, they know how to delegate jobs to smarter people with skills, or talents while they focus on other more important strategic engagements.
Association entails more than meeting people in-person. With the invention of technology, association and relationships have really gone global. Online is now seen as the fifth estate of learning. A lot of people have gained opportunities just by commenting right on social media, while some people have lost opportunities by commenting wrong on social media.
Still on social media, a creative mind with a purpose must be intentional in following people, organizations and causes they are passionate about; the algorithm has a way of aligning people with what they see, like, and comment, and in some cases the algorithm has a way of bringing people it feels one needs to connect with based on the mutual friends or causes they share together.
Here is the deal, as you journey through life, be intentional to appreciate what you have and always make it a point of duty to associate with people who are better than you in what you do or intend to do.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, on Wednesday, returned to Nigeria from London.
The former Kano State governor had travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment shortly after his controversial resignation as APC national chairman.
Confirming the development to The PUNCH, his former Chief of Staff, Mohammed Garba, said Ganduje arrived in the country in the early hours of Wednesday after spending about a month abroad.
“Yes, he is back in Nigeria today. He is full of life and has returned to his residence,” Garba stated.
He added that Ganduje departed Nigeria for London five days after stepping down from the party’s leadership to undergo medical care.
Ganduje, who became APC National Chairman in August 2023, had reportedly resigned on June 27, 2025, ostensibly over ill health.
He was subsequently inaugurated as the Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on July 9, while former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Netanwe Yilwatda, has since replaced him as the APC National Chairman.
The Federal government has confirmed the closure of approximately 13,597,057 social media accounts belonging to users of platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
The account on the various social media platforms were shutdown due to offensive content and violations of the Code of Practice.
The action against the platforms was disclosed in the Code of Practice 2024 Compliance Report submitted by promoters of interactive computer service platforms, including Google, Microsoft, and TikTok.
The Code of Practice, jointly issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), was designed to regulate online activities and curb harmful content.
The 2024 report, titled “Code of Practice 2024 Compliance Report Highlights Social Media Platforms’ Efforts on Online Harm Protection,” outlined how platforms have implemented content moderation measures in Nigeria.
According to the report, a total of 58,909,112 offensive contents were pulled down across multiple platforms within the year under review.
The statement, signed on Wednesday by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, also revealed that platforms received 754,629 registered complaints from users during the period.
She added that 420,439 contents were removed and re-uploaded following appeals by users.
Umar said: “The compliance reports provide valuable insights into the platforms’ efforts to address user safety concerns in line with the Code of Practice and the platforms’ community guidelines.
“The submission of these reports marks a significant step towards fostering a safer and responsible digital environment for Nigerian users.
“It also demonstrates the platforms’ commitment to ensuring a secure and trustworthy online environment for all.
“This achievement reflects the provisions of the Code of Practice, which mandates that large service platforms are registered in Nigeria and comply with relevant laws, including the fulfillment of their tax obligation, while reinforcing the commitment to online safety for Nigerians.
“While NITDA acknowledges these commendable efforts, we emphasise that building a safer digital space requires sustained collaboration and engagement among all stakeholders.
“We remain committed to working with industry players, civil society, and regulatory partners to further strengthen user safety measures, enhance digital literacy, and promote trust and transparency in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.”
