Israeli soldiers raided and ordered Al-Jazeera offices in Ramallah to close

The Israeli military raided and ordered the closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, the station reported.

Early Sunday morning, Al Jazeera broadcast live footage of Israeli soldiers entering the office in Ramallah, capturing the reactions of office head Walid Omary and staff members.

In a video broadcast by Al Jazeera, a soldier can be heard informing Omar of a military order to close the Al Jazeera office for 45 days.

Reading out a military order relayed to him on video, Omary said the workers had only ten minutes to gather their personal belongings and cameras and leave the office.

When Omary asked Israeli soldiers why the office was closed, he was told that the reason was given in a written military order.

A security guard on duty at the time told CNN that soldiers used explosives to break into the building.

“My eyes were heavy and I almost fell asleep when suddenly I saw them breaking down the main door,” Abu Amer said. “I got up to see what they were doing. They threw the first bomb, then the second one.”

“I tried to run to the stairs and away from them. I was so scared.”

Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau has been in operation for decades. It became even more important to the network after Israel closed its Jerusalem office and seized some of its communications equipment in May, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and human rights groups for what they called actions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curtail press freedom.

CNN sees major damage

After leaving the Al Jazeera office in Ramallah, a live report showed Omary and others on the street while the journalist said soldiers took over the office and confiscated materials.

Shortly afterward, as Israeli soldiers approached Omary, the live broadcast was cut off and Omary could be heard saying that the soldiers had taken away the camera and broadcast equipment the crew was using.

At the scene, CNN found extensive damage to the exterior and interior of the City Center building, which also houses several shops and other offices. Several steps leading up to the building were damaged and tiles were missing, and the main door was completely missing.

The entrance to the Al Jazeera workspace was completely sealed off by an iron door that a security guard told CNN was installed by the Israeli military. Three CCTV cameras were also missing, having been confiscated by Israeli military officials.

The Israeli military said it began enforcing an order to close the offices after an intelligence assessment showed they were being used to “incite terror” and “support terrorist activities.”

Al Jazeera strongly rejected the accusation in a statement, condemning the “baseless allegations” used by Israeli authorities to carry out what it described as a “criminal act.”

“The raid on the office and the seizure of our equipment is not only an attack on Al Jazeera but also an affront to press freedom and the very principles of journalism,” the broadcaster said.

The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents the foreign press in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was “deeply concerned” by what it called an “escalation that threatens press freedom.” The FPA called on the Israeli government to reconsider its decision.

The Israeli government has long complained about the activities of Al-Jazeera, accusing it of anti-Israel bias and being a “mouthpiece for Hamas.”

The Qatari news network that produced coverage of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza denies this. Several of its journalists have been killed or wounded since the offensive in Gaza began after the Oct. 7 attacks.

To receive more CNN news and newsletters, sign up for CNN.com