Israel's parliament has enacted a new law aimed at restricting foreign television channels from broadcasting in the country, with a specific focus on Qatar-based media outlet Al-Jazeera. The legislation, passed on Monday, grants the minister responsible for communications authorities the power to halt the airing of content from foreign TV channels within Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously hinted at such measures, has swiftly moved to implement the law following its passage. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Israel and Al-Jazeera, with Israeli authorities accusing the network of biased reporting and ties to terrorist organizations.

The law, approved by a decisive vote of 70-10 in Parliament, empowers authorities to censor content deemed inappropriate or threatening to national security. Additionally, the legislation grants the government the authority to block foreign channels from broadcasting in Israel altogether.

Netanyahu has pledged to take immediate action to halt Al-Jazeera's broadcasts in Israel, citing concerns over the network's alleged support for terrorism. In January, Israel controversially labeled an Al-Jazeera journalist and a freelancer killed in Gaza airstrikes as terrorists, a claim vehemently denied by the network.

Al-Jazeera has consistently refuted Israeli accusations, insisting that its journalists are impartial observers and condemning what it describes as Israel's targeting of media personnel. The network's coverage of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has drawn criticism from Israeli authorities, who accuse the channel of promoting a biased narrative.

Since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 137 journalists have lost their lives in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including Al-Jazeera Arabic cameraman Samer Abudaka. Moreover, over 50 media offices have been partially or completely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, further exacerbating tensions between Israel and the international media community.