News / Palestine

Israel closes Palestinian al-Khalil radio station

Saturday, 21 November 2015 11:18 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 21 November 2015 11:19 AM ]

The photo shows damage done to the office of al-Khalil radio station by Israeli forces, November 20, 2015.

The Israeli regime has issued an order to close down a Palestinian radio station in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron).

The director of al-Khalil Radio, Amjad Shawar, said Israeli soldiers stormed the radio station overnight, making it the second Palestinian news outlet to be closed this month by Tel Aviv.

Israeli forces also confiscated equipment and caused property damage.

According to reports, Israeli intelligence officers then delivered a military warrant, ordering the station’s closure for six months over accusations of causing “incitement” against Tel Aviv.

Earlier this month, Tel Aviv closed down and imposed a ban on broadcasts by Palestinian Manbar al-Hurriyya radio station.

A Palestinian journalist working for the local radio station Al-Hurriyya inspects damage caused by the Israeli army to the radio’s offices in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil, November 3, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) released a statement saying that more than 450 violations of media freedoms had taken place by the Israeli regime since the start of the year.

The watchdog said in its statement that it “condemns the ongoing violence against Palestinian journalists by the Israeli Occupying Forces.” According to MADA, press freedom violations have witnessed “an enormous escalation” this year.

Tensions have been on the rise between Israelis and Palestinians in recent months after Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

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