The Israeli cabinet has voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera’s network’s operations in Israel but no clarity on when the decision might take effect.

The Israeli government has unanimously voted to shut down Al Jazeera’s local bureau on Sunday, banning the Qatar-based network from broadcasting in the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced.

“The government, headed by me, unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,” Netanyahu said on X.

Netanyau and Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi presented the law to ban the channel from operating for 45 days, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Under the law, Karhi can block Al Jazeera’s English and Arabic channels from broadcasting in Israel, close its offices, and confiscate all of its equipment except telephones and computers. 

The law also grants the minister to limit all access to Al Jazeera’s websites.

Al Jazeera has yet to publicly comment on the decision.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide was quick to comment on the decision and said he was “deeply concerned about reports of the Israeli authorities banning Al Jazeera.”

The vote came after the legal advisor to the Israeli government, Gali Beharev Miara, green-lighted for the cabinet to consider shutting down the Qatar-based broadcaster. 

This also came after the Israeli parliament passed a law on April 1 granting Netanyahu the ability to shut down Al Jazeera and other foreign networks it deems “a security risk.” 

At the time, Netanyahu accused the Qatar-based network of inciting against its soldiers and participating in the October 7 attack, echoing common Israeli allegations towards those who expose the daily violations of Palestinians’ rights.

Al Jazeera responded to Netanyahu’s “slanderous accusations” while holding him responsible for the safety of its staff and network premises.

On October 18, Israel’s attorney general initially approved a ban on Al Jazeera’s local bureau before it backtracked on its decision the following month over Qatar’s key role in mediating the release of captives from Hamas in Gaza.

Doha and Cairo had mediated a week-long truce between November 24 and December 1 that led to the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza. However, talks have stalled since the truce expired. 

Aside from its in-depth coverage of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and daily West Bank attacks on Palestinians, Al Jazeera has also been documenting protests in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu’s government.

Journalists in Gaza have also been among Israel’s primary targets since it waged the genocidal war on October 7, 2023.

At least 141 journalists are now among more than 34,600 Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces since the beginning of the war. Some have been forced to flee to protect their loved ones.

Al Jazeera’s staff and their families in Gaza have been among Israel’s key targets throughout the war.

The world first witnessed this on October 25, 2023, when Israel killed four members of prominent Al Jazeera journalist and Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh’s family.

Israel killed Dahdouh’s wife, 15-year-old son, seven-year-old daughter and infant grandson in a strike in the south, despite Israel announcing the area to be a safe zone before the attack. 

Dahdouh, now in Doha, then survived a missile strike on December 15 in Khan Younis, where Al Jazeera’s cameraman, Samer Abu Daqqa, succumbed to his injuries after being left to bleed for six hours. 

Israeli forces prevented medics from reaching him with nonstop shelling and the ambulances had to receive prior approval to reach Abu Daqqa.

Israel then killed Dahdouh’s eldest son, Hamza, on January 7 in a direct missile strike that targeted a car with journalists in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Israel’s military was quick to justify the attack by claiming that it “identified and struck a terrorist, though a probe by The Washington Post on March 19 dismissed Israel’s allegations.

The latest Israeli move to shut down Al Jazeera came at a critical stage for the fresh round of ceasefire talks, which brought hopes over a possible deal.