DaysofPal — Israeli occupation has issued a new order banning several Jerusalem-based media platforms specializing in coverage of the city and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a step Palestinian officials and media advocates describe as a dangerous escalation aimed at silencing Palestinian reporting.
According to the decision, published shortly after midnight on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz designated a number of major Palestinian digital outlets as prohibited under Israeli law.
The banned platforms include Al-Asima Agency, Al-Bawsala, Miraj, Quds Plus, and Midan al-Quds.
Critics say the move represents a systematic effort to impose a media blackout on developments in Jerusalem and to sideline the Palestinian narrative from public discourse, particularly regarding tensions surrounding Al-Aqsa.
Ziyad Ibhais, a Jerusalem affairs researcher, said the ban reflects a broader strategy to create conditions for intensified measures in the city and at the Al-Aqsa compound, especially ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
He argued that shutting down local digital platforms removes a key source of Palestinian and regional coverage, potentially enabling Israeli occupation to implement new policies without sustained media scrutiny.
Ibhais noted that the targeted platforms had played a central role in documenting developments in Jerusalem for years, despite journalists facing arrests, restrictions, and bans from accessing the mosque compound.
In some cases, reporters were forced to cover events from surrounding areas such as the Mount of Olives after being barred from entering the site itself.
Hassan Khater, head of the International Jerusalem Center, described the decision as a serious escalation in the ongoing struggle over Jerusalem.
He said the measure goes beyond administrative action and aims to marginalize Palestinian coverage of events at Islamic holy sites and within the city.
The Palestinian Journalists Forum also condemned the decision, stating that labeling independent media outlets under Israeli anti-terror legislation constitutes a direct attack on press freedom and freedom of expression.
In a statement, the forum said the order targets national media institutions engaged in reporting on conditions in Jerusalem and the occupied territories, and accused Israeli authorities of attempting to criminalize Palestinian journalism under security pretexts.
The organization further argued that the move violates international standards protecting media work and is part of a broader pattern of pressure on Palestinian journalists.
The ban comes amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where disputes over holy sites, settlement activity, and military operations have fueled instability.
Palestinian analysts warn that restricting local media coverage could further inflame tensions by reducing transparency and limiting independent documentation of events in one of the conflict’s most sensitive flashpoints.
Israeli occupation has not publicly elaborated on the specific allegations against the banned outlets beyond their classification under existing security legislation.
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