JERUSALEM: Israeli forces raided the West Bank offices of Palestine Today television overnight and arrested its manager over allegations of inciting violence, Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency said today.
“The channel “broadcasts on behalf of the Islamic Jihad” terror group”, said Shin Bet officials.
A senior correspondent of Palestine Today said in a tweet: “The Israeli forces conducted operation targeting the station’s Ramallah offices to silence Palestinian broadcasters they believe are fuelling a five-month wave of violence.”
Israeli forces issued a statement describing the operation as to stop the broadcast favoring Islamic Jihad.
“The channel served the Islamic Jihad as a central means to incite the West Bank population, calling for terror attacks against Israel and its citizens. Incitement was broadcast on the television station as well as the Internet,” read the statement.
“Palestine Today’s manager in Ramallah station Farooq Aliat has also been arrested,” the statement said.
Aliat, 34, has been declared as “an Islamic Jihad operative” by Israeli forces.
A wave of violence has killed 188 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese since October 1, according to an AFP count.
