By Nadine Osman

London, (The Muslim News):  The US Secretary of State recently requested the Qatari Prime Minister tone down state-owned news outlet Al Jazeera’s coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, reported Axios, citing sources.

The request by Antony Blinken for the Qatari government to “turn down the volume on Al Jazeera’s coverage” came on Monday, just days after Reporters Without Borders (RSP) condemned Israel’s attempted media blackout of its siege of Gaza.

During a meeting with leaders of the American Jewish community, Blinken expressed concerns that the Biden administration was concerned about how Al Jazeera was portraying the conflict in Gaza and that this could lead to more tensions in the area.

At a joint press briefing with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha on October 13, Blinken stressed that there could be no “business as usual with Hamas.”

Blinken told the American Jewish leaders that during his Doha visit, he asked the Qatari government to change its public posture towards Hamas. He gave toning down Al Jazeera’s coverage of the war in Gaza as an example of steps the Qatari government can take to do this.

Israel’s communications minister, Shloma Karhi, had accused Al Jazeera of promoting pro-Hamas propaganda and putting Israeli soldiers at risk. Israeli security officials are reportedly contemplating closing the Al Jazeera office, a proposal currently under legal review.

Blinken may be talking tough to Qatar on Hamas, but the Biden administration cannot afford to alienate the oil-rich nation. Significantly, it has been relying on Qatar’s mediation efforts with Hamas, which recently resulted in the release of two American hostages.

News of the US editorial demands on Al-Jazeera were revealed in the wake of the killing channel’s bureau chief in Gaza’s entire immediate family in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.

News of US editorial demands against Al-Jazeera emerged following the death of one of their correspondent’s entire immediate family in an Israeli airstrike.

Wael al-Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Gaza, had fled with his family to the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza after Israel warned those in the northern half of the territory to leave immediately.

Al-Dahdouh’s wife, son, daughter, and grandson were killed in the airstrike late on Tuesday, which came amid an overnight surge of Israeli attacks reported to have killed hundreds of people.

In a statement, Al Jazeera said: “Their home was targeted in the Nuseirat camp in the centre of Gaza, where they had sought refuge after being displaced by the initial bombardment in their neighbourhood, following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s call for all civilians to move south.

“The network strongly condemns the indiscriminate targeting and killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, which has led to the loss of Wael Al-Dahdouh’s family and countless others.”

Reporters Without Borders (RSP) condemned Israel’s pressure on the media in the Gaza Strip for the past two weeks on Friday.

In a statement issued on its website on Friday RSP said, “The pressure on journalists covering the situation in the Gaza Strip, even those covering it from outside the enclave, has increased since October 7.

At least one journalist has been arrested by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank because of his coverage of the war in Gaza.

In Jerusalem, Al Araby TV correspondent Ahmad Darwasha was threatened and insulted by a police officer during a live broadcast, while three BBC journalists were held at gunpoint by Israeli police in Tel Aviv.’

The statement referenced the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and said approximately 50 media outlets in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7.

The blockade has obstructed most of the 24 radio stations in the region, which hampers operations due to airstrikes, bombings, and fuel shortages, it said.

It raised concerns about the potential closure of Al Jazeera offices and equipment confiscation, labelling the decision “censorship” following the approval of a regulation allowing the shutdown of television channels seen as a threat to state security by the Israeli government.

RSF’s Secretary-General Christophe Deloire noted the importance of journalists being able to work for “free and reliable” news reporting.

Israeli indiscriminate bombings in Gaza has killed 7,0328 and injured 18,484 Palestinians.

[A victim covered in blood after being pulled from under the rubble in Khan Yunis, souh Gaza where buildings collapsed or heavily damaged in Israeli indiscriminate airstrikes on 26 10 23. Photojournalist: Mustafa Hassona/ AA]