JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli authorities confiscated AP photography equipment on Tuesday, saying the agency was violating the law by providing live broadcasts to Al Jazeera TV, the Associated Press and Israel's Communications Ministry said.
The law, passed in April, allows the government to order foreign broadcast stations to temporarily cease operations for reasons of national security.
The Israeli Ministry of Communications said in a statement that the equipment was confiscated from the Associated Press website in the Israeli town of Sderot. She said the AP was told last week that it was prohibited from providing live broadcasts to Al Jazeera but continued to do so.
She added, “The confiscated camera illegally broadcasts live in the northern Gaza Strip on Al Jazeera, including the activities of the Israeli army, endangering our fighters.”
The White House said the incident was “troubling.” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House will look into the situation and believes journalists have a right to do their jobs.
The AP said in a statement that it had ordered the shutdown of the live broadcast showing a view of Gaza from the Israeli town of Sderot, saying this was based not on the content “but on the Israeli government's abusive use of the country's new foreign radio station.” Law”.
The Associated Press urged authorities to return her equipment and allow her to broadcast live again. She said she received a verbal order to shut down the broadcast on May 16, but said she refused to comply. He did not give a reason.
“The Associated Press condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government in shutting down our long-standing live feed showing a view of Gaza and seizing AP equipment,” AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said.
The Associated Press said it complied with military censorship rules that prohibit broadcasting details such as troop movements that could put soldiers in danger. She added that the live footage generally showed smoke rising over Gaza.
As with the AP, Reuters also provides live broadcasts from its locations throughout Gaza to clients around the world, including Al Jazeera.
Israel shut down the operations of the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera channel over national security concerns in early May, and said it would remain closed for the duration of the war in Gaza.
Al Jazeera criticized this move and described the accusation that it threatens Israeli security as a “dangerous and ridiculous lie.” She had no immediate comment when asked about the incident by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Spokesmen for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and the Communications Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.