At approximately 3 a.m. today, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stormed the West Bank office of Al Jazeera. Military personnel entered the premises with mobile phones in hand, seemingly recording or livestreaming the event. Armed IDF soldiers ordered staff members to leave their belongings and vacate the premises within ten minutes.

This latest raid is part of Israel’s growing crackdown on media presence since the war began. Earlier in September, Israel revoked Al Jazeera’s press credentials, accusing the network of disseminating false information. Al Jazeera’s broadcasts have been banned within Israel, and its operations effectively shut down. The Israeli government and its agencies have faced accusations of running a deliberate campaign to discredit the news outlet.

Al Jazeera aired footage of the raid on its channels, highlighting the increasing pressure it faces. In a May court ruling, the network was ordered to close its offices for 45 days. Israeli police have been directed to raid the network’s offices in East Jerusalem, seize equipment, prevent broadcasts, and block its websites within Israel.

Over the past year, the Israeli government has placed near-total restrictions on international journalists entering the region. In addition to forced shutdowns, the IDF has been implicated in the deaths of several journalists. The most recent victims were Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al-Rifi, who were killed in Gaza. In 2022, veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Jenin, located in the occupied West Bank. In 2023, Israeli forces bombed Al Jazeera’s offices in Gaza.

According to international humanitarian law, journalists in conflict zones are afforded the same protections as civilians, provided they do not participate in hostilities. Their equipment is also protected as civilian property. If captured, journalists are to be treated as prisoners of war. However, in Gaza and the West Bank, journalists frequently find themselves stripped of these protections, facing threats, intimidation, and violence from government forces.