Al-Aqsa TV

Al-Aqsa TV (Arabic: قناة الأقصى) is a television channel run by Hamas, a group based in the Gaza Strip. The channel shows many types of programs, including news, shows for children, and entertainment that shares Hamas's ideas and beliefs.

The channel is currently led by Fathi Hamad, who is a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and also serves as the Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip. The name of the channel comes from Al-Aqsa, a important place in Jerusalem.

History

Al-Aqsa TV started in 2005 and was named after Al-Aqsa mosque. It began showing shows in the Gaza Strip in January 2006, after Hamas won an election. The station said it was not connected to Hamas, but many Hamas members worked there.

The channel showed religious programs, sports, and messages supporting what it called "resistance." It talked about attacks against soldiers in areas occupied by Israel. Some people in Israel and the United States said the station encouraged harmful actions.

In 2010, France stopped the channel from being shown because it broke rules about promoting violence. In 2018, after Israeli airstrikes damaged its offices, the channel said it would stop for a while, but later it continued. In 2025, some countries banned the channel from using satellite networks.

Israeli operations

During times of conflict, Israeli forces targeted the headquarters of Al-Aqsa TV in Gaza City. In 2008, aircraft destroyed the main building, but the station kept broadcasting from a mobile unit. In 2012, another airstrike damaged their office. In 2014, an air strike hit a media building where both Al-Aqsa TV and Al-Aqsa Radio were located. While the television continued broadcasting, the radio station stopped for a time before returning.

In 2018, Israel bombed the station after warning people to leave the area. Later, in 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense labeled Al-Aqsa TV as a terrorist organization. Some groups protested this decision. In October 2023, the station's broadcast was briefly taken over with a message telling people in Gaza to find safe places, which Hamas claimed was done by Israel.

Criticism

In May 2013, Al-Aqsa TV received attention when the Newseum planned to honor two of its members as journalists. The U.S. government says the TV channel is controlled by a group it considers a terrorist organization.

A children’s show on the channel was criticized for promoting negative and violent ideas. After concerns from watchdogs, a Palestinian official asked the TV to stop broadcasting for review, but the show continued as normal.

In 2008, a health minister in Gaza said the TV tries to be independent, but others argued it cannot be independent because it is led by someone closely tied to the group running Gaza.

The TV sometimes chooses not to report certain news, especially if it might reflect badly on the leaders in Gaza.