Israeli officials seized a camera and broadcasting equipment belonging to the Associated Press in southern Israel on Tuesday, before reversing course in the face of widespread condemnation from media groups and criticism from its closest ally, the United States.
Officials had accused the US-based wire service, which has subscribers around the globe, of violating a new media law by providing images to Al Jazeera.
The Qatari satellite channel, which is among thousands of clients that receive live video feeds from AP, was forced to close its offices in Israel on 5 May after a government vote to use new laws to close the satellite news network’s operations in the country.
Officials from the communications ministry arrived at the AP location in the southern Israeli border town of Sderot on Tuesday afternoon and seized the equipment. They handed the news agency a piece of paper, signed by the communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, alleging it was violating the country’s foreign broadcaster law.
But in a statement late on Tuesday, Karhi said he had ordered officials to cancel the original decision and return the confiscated equipment, pending a decision by the Ministry of Defence, which he said wished to examine the issue.
The seizure, which Reporters Without Borders described as “outrageous censorship”, had prompted a wave of criticism from media organisations and politicians.
“The Associated Press decries in the strongest terms the actions of the Israeli government to shut down our longstanding live feed showing a view into Gaza and seize AP equipment,” said Lauren Easton, the vice-president of corporate communications at the news organisation.
“The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law.
“We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world.”
The White House said it was looking into the incident, which it described as concerning. The press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said it believed journalists had the ability and right to do their jobs.
The Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, posted on X: “The confiscation of the equipment of AP, the largest news agency in the world … is an act of madness. This is not Al Jazeera, this is an American media outlet that has won 53 Pulitzer Prizes.”
The seized equipment had been broadcasting a live shot of northern Gaza. AP complies with Israel’s military censorship rules, which prohibit broadcasts of details such as troops movements that could endanger soldiers.
The seizure and return of AP’s equipment comes amid tougher restrictions for journalists operating in Israel, whereby international journalists have been denied access to Gaza by Israel during the conflict, despite a case brought by the Foreign Press Association in Israel.
It follows widespread international condemnation of the Israel Defense Forces’ alleged targeting of Palestinian journalists, a claim denied by the IDF.
As of 21 May, at least 105 journalists and media workers were among the more than 36,000 people killed since the war began on 7 October, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The figure includes 100 Palestinian journalists, two Israelis and three Lebanese, in the deadliest period for journalists since the CPJ began gathering data in 1992.
Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias against the country. The Israeli prime minister, Netanyahu, has called it a “terror channel” that spreads incitement.
Al Jazeera is one of the few international news outlets that has remained in Gaza throughout the war, broadcasting scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and accusing Israel of massacres.
The Foreign Press Association, which represents dozens of international news outlets in Israel, said earlier this month that the forced closure of the Al Jazeera bureau marked a “dark day for democracy”.
The war in Gaza began with a Hamas attack in Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
