Israel's communications minister ordered the return of seized camera equipment to AP after the Israeli Communications Ministry blocked the news agency's live video feed of Gaza earlier Tuesday.
Israeli officials had seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to The Associated Press in southern Israel, accusing the news organization of violating the country's new ban on Al Jazeera.
The U.S. urged Israel to return the seized AP equipment and reverse its broadcast block on Gaza images after the incident, according to senior White House officials.
"We've been engaging directly with the Government of Israel to express our concerns over this action and to ask them to reverse it," a White House spokesperson said.
The Al Jazeera channel is among thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from AP and other news organizations. AP denounced the move.
The White House said in an early statement that it was looking into the report, saying, "obviously, this is concerning." It also reaffirmed that the U.S. "stands firm in our belief that journalists have the ability, right to do their jobs."
"The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment," said Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications at the AP.
"The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country's new foreign broadcaster law. We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world."
The Communications Ministry alleged that "Photographers from the Associated Press filmed the Gaza area in an ongoing basis from a balcony in Sderot, including the activity of Israel Defense Forces combat soldiers and their location."
- 'Surprising they managed until now': Palestinians react to Israel's shutdown of Al Jazeera
- Hard as Al Jazeera is to watch, shutting it down in Israel is wrong
- Netanyahu banned Al Jazeera because he wants only his voice to be heard
AP video equipment is laid on the floor of an apartment block in Sderot, southern Israel, shortly before it was seized by Israeli officials, Tuesday.Credit: Josphat Kasire,AP
"Even though Communications Ministry inspectors warned them that they were breaking the law and that they should remove Al Jazeera as a recipient of their content and not transfer their broadcast to Al Jazeera, they continued to do so."
"The law and directives do not distinguish between Al Jazeera itself and the suppliers who transfer materials to the [news agency] from Israel."
Officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at the AP location in the southern Israel city of Sderot on Tuesday afternoon and seized the equipment. They handed the AP a piece of paper, signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, alleging it was violating the country's new foreign broadcaster law.
The seizure followed a verbal order Thursday to cease the live transmission – which the news organization refused to do.
The AP said it complies with Israel's military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details like troops movements that could endanger soldiers.
Shortly before the equipment was seized, AP was broadcasting a general view of northern Gaza. The live shot has generally shown smoke rising over the territory.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that "The confiscation of the equipment of AP – the largest news agency in the world – is an act of madness. They're not Al Jazeera, they're an American media outlet that has won 53 Pulitzer Prizes."
"This government behaves as though it has decided to ensure at any cost that Israel will be ostracized all over the world. They've gone crazy," Lapid continued.
The Union of Journalists in Israel stated that "The Ministry of Communications must immediately stop the crackdown on media outlets and journalists," deeming the move "a severe threat to democracy and press freedom."
"We call on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to thoroughly investigate how the communications ministry is implementing the law," the union added.
The Foreign Press Association called the move "outrageous," saying the confiscation "is the latest in a series of chilling steps by the Israeli government to stifle the media."
The association further warned that Israel "could block other international news agencies from providing live footage of Gaza," and "block media coverage of virtually any news event on vague security grounds."
Israeli officials used the new foreign broadcaster law to close down the offices of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera on May 5 as well as confiscate the channel's equipment, ban its broadcasts, and block its websites.
Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it a "terror channel" that spreads incitement.
Al Jazeera is one of the few international news outlets that has remained in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres.
Click the alert icon to follow topics:
- Al Jazeera
- 2023 Israel-Gaza War
