Israeli Prime Minister >Benjamin Netanyahu's threats appear to be coming true.
On Sunday, Communications Minister Ayoub Kara said that Al Jazeera's bureau will be shuttered, its journalists ordered to leave and it will be blocked from broadcasting via local and satellite providers within territories controlled by Israelis.
Kara said the move was meant to bolster security and to ensure that news channels operations in the country will "report objectively," according to Reuters. While Kara's promise echoes that of the Israeli Prime Minister, a legal process needs to be followed before the station can officially be shut down.
The Qatari-owned broadcaster slammed the minister's statement, promising to fight a legal battle to remain open.
"Al Jazeera denounces this decision made by a state that claims to be 'the only democratic state in the Middle East,'" the network said in an official statement.
"Al Jazeera stresses that it will watch closely the developments that may result from the Israeli decision, and will take the necessary legal measures towards it," it said.
The statement went on to say that Al Jazeera promises to continue covering issues in the "occupied Palestinian territories in a professional and objective manner in accordance with the common journalistic standards set by the relevant international organizations."
Last month, Netanyahu attacked Al Jazeera claiming it incites violence and criticized its support of the Palestinian protesters at Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem.
"The Al Jazeera network continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount [Al-Aqsa compound]," Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post.
"I have appealed to law enforcement agencies several times to close the Al-Jazeera office in Jerusalem," he said. "If this does not happen because of legal reasons, I will work to legislate the laws required to remove Al Jazeera from Israel."
The Qatari network is also >currently blocked in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, as the four countries blockade the small wealthy emirate.
Al Jazeera was barred in May after controversial statements accredited to the Emir of Qatar were shared by Qatar News Agency. Since then, the spat has escalated with the four Arab nations cutting economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing the country of supporting terrorist groups and encouraging tensions in the region.
>In a list of 13 demands presented to Qatar in an effort to end the crisis, the four countries said Al Jazeera and other Qatari-funded media organizations must be closed.