Israeli forces raid, shut down Palestinian radio station

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Israeli forces on Tuesday raided and shut down a Palestinian radio station, confiscating equipment and causing significant damage.

Dozens of soldiers barged into the offices of Al Hurria station in Hebron in the occupied West Bank in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the station's executive director said in a video posted online.

Israeli forces said the station was shut down and that its coverage "glorifies attacks against Israelis".

Ayman Al Qawasmi, Al Hurria's director, said soldiers approached the building at around 2am (0000 GMT). 

"We thought it was related to the campaign of arrests but were surprised to see they were targeting the radio's premises," he said.

"Unfortunately they destroyed everything inside the building, there is nothing left... They confiscated broadcasting equipment, microphones." 

An AFP photographer at the station said damage caused by the raid was considerable, with equipment and signs torn from walls and furniture upturned.

The Union of Palestinian Journalists said the station was informed it would be closed until April, calling the decision an "awful and heinous crime which reflects the [Israelis'] barbaric, criminal, terrorist mentality towards Palestinian media".

The station, the army claimed, "encourages stabbing attacks, violent riots and reports false and malicious claims of… forces executing and kidnapping Palestinians in order to provoke violence."

In the past two weeks, around 20 young Palestinians have been shot by Israeli forces in and around Hebron. 

Israel has accused them of trying to stab Israeli forces or settlers.

Palestinians — including media outlets such as Al Hurria — have disputed Israeli claims, saying some of the dead were either unarmed or did not represent a direct threat.

Israel has closed the station twice before, in 2002 and 2008.

Sixty-eight Palestinians, nine Israelis and an Arab Israeli have been killed in a wave of unrest since the start of October.