After ban in Israel, Gallant reportedly orders Al Jazeera blocked in West Bank too

After Israel blocked Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera in the country and shuttered its local offices, Army Radio reports that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has ordered IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to block the network in the West Bank as well.

The report quotes unnamed sources in the IDF as saying they are working to implement the order.

However, the report says it isn’t yet known whether the order applies only to areas of the West Bank where Israeli settlers live, or if it extends as well to the Palestinian areas, where Al Jazeera is much more widely watched.

Asked by The Times of Israel for comment on the report, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit says: “The IDF is working to implement the defense minister’s order.”

However, the military refuses to confirm what the order is, saying that question should be directed at Gallant’s office, which doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.