Associated Press equipment seized by Israel for contravening Al Jazeera law

Israeli law enforcement confiscated "The Associated Press" (AP) broadcasting equipment from its Sderot branch on May 21.

According to reports, officials from the Communications Ministry arrived at AP's Sderot office and handed the staff a piece of paper signed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, alleging the outpost was violating Israel's new media law which restricts certain broadcasts and includes a ban on Al Jazeera, The Jerusalem Post reports.

AP reported that shortly before the equipment was confiscated, it was being used to broadcast a general view of northern Gaza. Israel's military censorship rule prohibit broadcasts of details like troops movements that could endanger soldiers, however AP claim the live shot was purely showing smoke rising over the territory.

The Communications Ministry stated that the broadcasts were "illegal" and showed the activities of "IDF forces and endangers our fighters." Aside from the camera, the officers confiscated a tripod, two microphones and a LiveU Net modem.

The AP office received a verbal order on Thursday to cease the live transmission, however the news organization refused to comply.

The new law - dubbed the Al Jazeera law - was used by Israeli officials to shut down the Al Jazeera's offices on May 5 and confiscate its equipment, ban the channel's broadcasts, and block on its websites. The news outlet is a Qatari-satellite broadcaster.

Israel has long accused Al Jazeera of bias against Israel. According to AP, relations between the two took a turn for the worse two years ago when Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank.