The Palestinian Authority has suspended Al Jazeera from broadcasting and operating in the occupied West Bank. It accused the network of broadcasting “inciting materials” and “misleading reports” that “provoke strife and interfere in Palestinian internal affairs,” Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, said Wednesday.

The PA’s ban on Al Jazeera is part of a broader crackdown on those criticising its operation in the Jenin camp.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended the media organisation from the West Bank over national security concerns.

The decision to suspend the Qatar-funded network comes after Israel shuttered two of its offices, claiming it was a "mouthpiece of Hamas".View on euronews

Al Jazeera has been accused of biased reporting and incitement in the West Bank, but has hit back accusing the Palestinian Authority of adopting Israeli-style media censorship.

The Palestinian Authority has shut down the operations of Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera in the West Bank, according to local reports. In a statement, Al Jazeera condemned Fatah, the Palestinian Authority ruling party in the West Bank,

Al Jazeera Media Network has condemned an “incitement campaign” initiated by Fatah in the occupied West Bank against Al Jazeera and its journalists, particularly against correspondent Mohamad Atrash.

The Palestinian Authority says it has suspended broadcasting by the prominent Arab channel Al Jazeera in parts of the occupied West Bank, citing incitement and bias. Qatari-owned Al Jazeera expressed shock and denounced the decision as "an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories".

Al Jazeera has condemned the Palestinian Authority's decision to suspend it in the occupied West Bank and shut down its bureau in Ramallah. On New Year's Day, the culture, interior and communications ministers jointly made the decision accusing Al Jazeera of broadcasting material that was "deceiving and stirring strife".

The ban comes as the PA battles militants from Hamas and its allies for control over parts of the West Bank, a fight that could shape the struggle for leadership of the Palestinian cause.