Israeli minister orders return of material seized from AP news agency | Israel’s War on Gaza News

The Associated Press news agency welcomes the decision to return the material and expresses concerns about the Israeli government’s use of the new law on foreign broadcasters.

Israel’s communications minister has ordered the return of a camera and broadcast equipment seized from the Associated Press (AP) news agency in southern Israel.

Israeli authorities confiscated articles from the US news agency on Tuesday and accused it of violating a new media law by providing images to the Qatari media network Al Jazeera.

After Israel seized the equipment, journalism organizations, an Israeli opposition leader and the White House condemned the move.

“I have now ordered to cancel the action and return the equipment to the PA,” Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said on X on Tuesday evening.

Karhi said the Defense Ministry will undertake a review of media positioning on live videos from Gaza.

Al Jazeera is one of thousands of customers who receive live video feeds from the AP and other news organizations.

“While we are pleased with this development, we remain concerned about the Israeli government’s use of the Foreign Broadcasters Law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel,” said Lauren Easton, vice president of AP Corporate Communications.

Communications Ministry officials arrived at the AP site in the southern town of Sderot on Tuesday afternoon and seized the equipment. They handed the AP a piece of paper, signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, alleging that it violated the country’s law on foreign broadcasters.

Shortly before the seizure of the equipment, the AP broadcast a general view of famine-stricken northern Gaza, where Israeli forces continue to launch ground and air attacks.

The AP said it complies with Israeli military censorship rules, which prohibit the broadcast of details such as troop movements that could put soldiers in danger. Live shots usually show smoke rising above the besieged territory.

The seizure followed a verbal order given on Thursday to stop live transmission – something the news agency refused to do.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the move “an act of madness.”

“This government is behaving as if it had decided to ensure at all costs that Israel would be influenced throughout the world. They went crazy,” he said.

The White House said this was a “concerning” development.

“We remain steadfast in our belief that journalists have the ability and right to do their jobs,” the White House said.

The Palestinian group Hamas also denounced the decision, calling it a “recurring, arbitrary and oppressive act” against press freedom. The group said the move was aimed at “covering up the crimes” committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians.

On May 5, the Israeli cabinet voted unanimously to close Al Jazeera in the country, immediately ordering the closure of its offices and the banning of the company’s broadcasts and websites. Al Jazeera condemned the decision as a “criminal act”.

The move comes weeks after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law on April 1 allowing Israel to temporarily shut down foreign media outlets – including Al Jazeera – if it considers them a security threat.

Israel has long had difficult relations with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against it and collaboration with Hamas. The Qatar-based network has repeatedly rejected the accusations.

Al Jazeera is one of the few international media outlets to have remained in Gaza throughout Israel’s continued attack.

At least 35,647 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s attack on Gaza since October, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israel started the war on October 7 after Hamas carried out an attack in southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.