Israeli forces storm, shut down Hebron radio station

Israeli forces on Tuesday morning stormed the offices of a Palestinian radio station in Hebron, where they destroyed equipment and ordered the station's closure, in the latest violation of press freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Manbar al-Hurriyya (Freedom Tribune) radio station wrote on its website that Israeli forces had destroyed equipment inside the offices and confiscated other equipment.

The soldiers then issued a military order notifying employees that the station was to be closed and its broadcast banned.

The Israeli army said in a statement that the station was shut down "as part of the ongoing battle against incitement."

It continued: "Forces confiscated broadcasting equipment in order to prevent the incitement which has caused a flare of violence in the region over recent weeks."

It accused the radio station of encouraging "stabbing attacks" and "violent riots," and reporting "false and malicious claims of security forces executing and kidnapping Palestinians in order to provoke violence."

The statement said that Israeli forces had shut down the station twice before, in 2002 and again in 2008. more

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