Israel-Hamas war day 212: What's going on in Gaza?

Israel's cabinet on Sunday unanimously voted to shut down the Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, nearly six months after first announcing its intentions to do so due to security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's National Security Cabinet was scheduled to hold the vote on Thursday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed it due to concern that the vote would not pass. According to a spokesperson for Minister-without-portfolio MK Benny Gantz's National Unity party, this was because Mossad chief David Barnea requested that the government delay it for a few days, to avoid possible negative diplomatic ramifications relating to Qatar, a mediator between Israel and Hamas in negotiations for a deal to free Israeli hostages.

The decision required approval from either the government's National Security Cabinet (NSC) or the general cabinet, and Netanyahu chose to move forwards on Sunday in the general cabinet despite Barnea's request.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi signed an executive order immediately after the vote passed, and it thus came into effect right away. In a video statement, Karhi called Al Jazeera a "Hamas incitement organ." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also posted on X, "The government under my leadership decided unanimously: The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be shut down in Israel."

National Unity's three ministers were not present at the meeting and did not take part in the vote. The party said in a statement that its ministers "support closing Al Jazeera's broadcasts and even announced that they would support its closure in the recent (national security) cabinet meeting."