Al Jazeera Slams Fatah-Led Campaign and PA Ban as Threats to Press Freedom

December 24, 2024 – Palestine/Israel –

Al Jazeera Media Network issued a strong condemnation of what it described as an “incitement campaign” orchestrated by Fatah—and by extension the Palestinian Authority (PA)—targeting its journalists in the occupied West Bank. The backlash was triggered by Al Jazeera’s coverage of clashes between PA security forces and resistance fighters in Jenin. Fatah responded by imposing a ban on Al Jazeera’s operations in the governorate, urging Palestinians to avoid collaborating with the network, and accusing the network of sowing division across the Palestinian territories and the broader Arab world.

In its press release, Al Jazeera emphasized its commitment to impartial journalism, noting that its coverage routinely featured voices from both resistance elements and PA security spokespeople. The network warned that the campaign against it—highlighting correspondent Mohamad Atrash—endangered the safety of journalists and held PA institutions responsible for any harm inflicted upon them. Further tensions escalated in early January 2025 when the PA extended the restrictions by suspending Al Jazeera’s broadcasting license across the West Bank. The network responded by labeling the PA’s actions as echoing the Israeli occupation’s prior ban and reinforcing its condemnation of these political maneuvers.

This escalating standoff reflects a broader shift in Palestinian media politics. Under President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party wields power through the PA, internal security operations—especially in Jenin—have intensified, and dissenting media coverage is increasingly framed as disloyal or destabilizing. Al Jazeera’s reporting on the PA’s internal operations amid the Gaza conflict triggered a swift clampdown, with the network characterizing the actions as deliberate suppression of truth rather than legitimate security measures.

Press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have criticized the PA’s actions, describing the broadcast ban and incitement campaign as a dangerous normalization of censorship, both reflecting and reinforcing regional patterns of media suppression. With journalists facing threats from both Israeli forces and internal PA mechanisms, the credibility and safety of independent media in the occupied territories is under mounting pressure. Amid this crisis, Al Jazeera has pledged to continue its coverage and urged the PA to immediately reverse its decisions and allow unrestricted reporting across the West Bank.

This confrontation underscores a dual threat: journalists are not only targeted in active conflict zones but also silenced by internal political forces, signaling a dangerous erosion of press freedoms within Palestinian governance itself.

Reference –

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/24/al-jazeera-condemns-fatah-campaign-against-it-in-west-bank

https://network.aljazeera.net/en/press-releases/al-jazeera-condemns-fatahs-incitement-campaign-against-it-and-holds-palestinian