The Hamas-led government in Gaza has ordered the closure of two media outlets in the territory - the broadcaster Al-Arabiya and the news agency Maan - after accusing them of publishing "false" news.
Ismail Jaber, the attorney general, said on Thursday (25 July) that the outlets reported "fabricated news" that "threatened civil peace and damaged the Palestinian people and their resistance" to Israel.
He described the shutdown as temporary, although the order did not specify when the offices will be allowed to resume operations.
Maan, headquartered in the West Bank, and Al-Arabiya, based in Saudi Arabia, often carry critical coverage of Hamas.
The Hamas statement cited an article published by Maan which said Muslim Brotherhood leaders had fled to Gaza to organise activities in support of ousted Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi. Al-Arabiya is said to have reported a similar story.
The New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee to Protect Journalists, said governments did not have the right to shut down news organisations just because they dispute the accuracy of stories and called for Hamas to reconsider.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) also issued a statement saying the Hamas authorities in Gaza should revoke the closure decisions.
Tom Porteous, HRW's deputy programme director, said: "These actions do not square with Gaza authorities' claims to respect media freedom."
According to a New York Times report, the attorney general also ordered police to close a Gaza media production company, Lens, because it had provided broadcast services to I24 News, a channel based in Israel.
A Lens employee was quoted as saying that the head of the Hamas's media office told him Lens was violating a government decision to bar Palestinians in Gaza from working with Israeli news organisations.
Sources: CPJ/Human Rights Watch/New York Times
