Israel takes back order to cut AP live Gaza video feed

NEW DELHI: Israel has reversed its decision to shut down an Associated Press (AP) live video feed from Gaza, following protests from the US news agency and concerns raised by the White House.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi had initially ordered the confiscation of AP's equipment, accusing the agency of breaching a new ban on providing rolling footage of Gaza to Al Jazeera.However, after Washington called on Israel to reverse the move, Karhi revoked the order and instructed the return of the equipment to AP.
The White House spokesperson said, "We've been engaging directly with the government of Israel to express our concerns over this action and to ask them to reverse it."
AP, in its statement, said it 'decries in the strongest terms' the move by the Israeli government and expressed concern about the use of the foreign broadcaster law and the ability of independent journalists to operate freely in Israel.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised the government's decision, emphasising that AP is an American media outlet that has won numerous Pulitzer Prizes.
The United Nations also condemned the move as 'shocking,' with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stating that AP should be allowed to work freely without harassment.
The incident occurred after Israel took Al Jazeera off the air earlier this month, shutting down its Jerusalem offices, confiscating its equipment, and revoking its team's accreditations. The communications ministry claimed that AP had been warned about violating the law by broadcasting images of Gaza, including focusing on the activities and location of Israeli soldiers, but continued to do so.
Press freedom organisations and media watchdogs have expressed alarm over Israel's actions, with the Foreign Press Association in Israel calling the move against AP 'outrageous censorship' and highlighting Israel's 'dismal' record on press freedom during the Gaza war.
In the 2024 press freedom index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Israel ranked 101st out of 180 countries, dropping four positions from the previous year.
The Gaza war, which broke out after Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 Israelis, mostly civilians. Hamas also took 252 hostages, with 124 remaining in Gaza, including 37 whom the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,647 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.