JERUSALEM (AP) — JERUSALEM — Israel’s main cable provider has halted broadcasts of news station Al Jazeera, citing a ban on the channel approved Sunday by the government.
Cable TV provider “Hot” on Sunday afternoon switched off Al Jazeera broadcasts in English and Arabic.
“In accordance with the government’s decision, Al-Jazeera broadcaster has stopped in Israel,” it said in an on-screen message.
In Israel, the channel’s Arabic and English websites remained operational, and the broadcaster could still be watched live on YouTube in both languages.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. The previous AP story follows below.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas militants on Sunday attacked Israel’s main crossing point through delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Stripreportedly injuring several Israelis and prompting Israel to close the terminal.
The attack disrupted critical shipments of food and other humanitarian aid to Gaza and dealt a further blow to ongoing ceasefire efforts brokered by Egypt and Qatar. In another potential setback, Israel said it was closing the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera satellite channel, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he rejected Hamas’ latest demands and vowed to continue fighting.
The Israeli military reported 10 launches at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Hamas said it was targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were injured, three of them seriously.
from Israel The Kerem Shalom crossing became the main gateway for much-needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The military said the crossing was immediately closed, halting aid deliveries to hard-hit Gaza. It was unclear how long the closure would remain in effect.
The incident comes at a time when Gaza is facing a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food, medicine and other humanitarian items.
The attack threatened to complicate ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Egypt. A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Saturday while Egyptian state media reported “remarkable progress” in ceasefire negotiations.
However, Israel did not send a delegation to Cairo and a senior Israeli official downplayed the prospects of a total end to the war while emphasizing Israel’s commitment to invading Rafah.
Egyptian and Hamas officials said the deal calls for an extended pause in fighting in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. But the parties remain at odds over whether the agreement would include an end to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Netanyahu lowered expectations further on Sunday when he accused Hamas of making unacceptable demands.
While asserting that Israel demonstrated a willingness to make concessions, he said: “Hamas still maintained its extreme positions, first and foremost the withdrawal of our forces from the strip, concluding the war and leaving Hamas intact.”
“Israel will not agree to Hamas’ demands, which would mean surrender; will continue to fight until all its goals are achieved,” he said.
Israel launched its war in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack on October 7, which killed around 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. An Israeli air and ground offensive killed more than 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, displaced about 80% of Gaza’s population and led to a humanitarian disaster.
Egypt and Qatar have been working with the United States to broker a ceasefire.
On Sunday, Netanyahu’s Cabinet approved a measure to close Qatar Al Jazeera news channel, accusing him of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The decision threatened to further disrupt ceasefire negotiations. There was no immediate comment from Qatar.
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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
