HEBRON, November 21, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli army forces Saturday shut down al-Khalil radio station in the city of Hebron for a period of six months, citing incitement to violence as a pretext.

Witnesses reported that military jeeps and armored personnel carriers stormed the city of Hebron, and imposed a tight military cordon around the area, before proceeding to surround and raid the radio station.

Forces reportedly seized the entire station’s transmitters and broadcasting equipment, as well as disabled the surveillance cameras, as they wreaked havoc into the station.

A journalist with the radio station identified as Ez-Eddin al-Haddad, informed WAFA that forces handed them an order to shut down the station for a period of six months.

The station’s director, Amjad Shawer, considered this Israeli measure a dangerous step that reflects the barbaric, criminal, and racist mentality toward the Palestinian media.

To be noted, this is the second Hebron-based radio station to be shut down by the Israeli forces during the current spate of violence, which began almost two months ago, against the backdrop of Israel’s growing dominance over al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest place in Islam.

On November 3, Israeli army forces shut down the headquarters of local radio station Minbar al-Hurriya in Hebron, also for a period of six months, and threatned to demolish the building if any of the radio’s staff attempts to enter it.

T.R.