GAZA CITY, Palestine 

The Gaza Media Office and Hamas on Friday slammed on Friday a joint European-American decision to block Al-Aqsa TV on satellite channels.

The decision included a threat to any satellite broadcasting the channel with sanctions and legal proceedings.

The Government Media Office said it "represents a blatant assault on public freedoms, freedom of opinion and expression, and a systematic suppression of the Palestinian narrative."

It said the decision reflects "a clear alignment with the open war waged by the occupation (Israel) against Palestinian media," and represents "a reward for the occupation's crimes against journalists."

The media office urged "reversing the decision, which violates international laws and resolutions."

Hamas said that the “unjust measure represents a direct targeting of free Palestinian media, which conveys the suffering of the Palestinian people and the crimes of the occupation to the world."

The Palestinian resistance group called on international media outlets and press groups to "condemn this decision and enhance their role in exposing the occupation's ongoing violations of international laws and humanitarian norms."

It also affirmed that "all the occupation's attempts to obscure the truth will fail, and the voice of resistance will remain present, expressing the suffering and legitimate rights of our people until liberation and return."

In the course of the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, 206 Palestinian journalists have been killed, in addition to the destruction of most media facilities in Gaza.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement took hold in Gaza in January, halting Israel’s brutal onslaught, which has killed more than 48,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Despite the ceasefire, Gaza authorities reported almost daily ceasefire violations by Israel.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign.