Israel’s parliament, Knesset, announced Tuesday that it has extended a law permitting authorities to ban foreign media outlets considered "harmful" to state security from broadcasting in the country.
Adopted in April 2024, at the height of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the legislation primarily targeted Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, which Israeli authorities have accused of serving as a "propaganda outlet" for the Palestinian resistance groups.
The law was originally limited to the state of emergency declared at the start of the war, which was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, incursion.
However, on Dec. 1, 2025, the Knesset voted to end that state of emergency and an amendment passed overnight meant the law will remain in force for another two years.
According to a statement published on the Knesset's X account, the amendment "allows, under a temporary provision valid until Dec. 31, 2027, the restriction of broadcasts by foreign media that harm state security."
