CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's assessment of the al-Jazeera satellite network has prompted Foreign Ministry spokespersons to shun the Arabic television network.

In remarks to a group of foreign ambassadors on Israel's counter-terror operations in the Gaza Strip last weekend, Livni said al-Jazeera distorts the truth.

"When depicting Israeli attacks, al-Jazeera abuses the situation on the ground by telling lies."

"Unfortunately, during these attacks, civilians were killed. I am not trying to change the facts. But, of course, when it comes al-Jazeera, everything is exaggerated," Livni said.

Last week, Israeli Foreign Ministry officials met with Walid al-Omary, al-Jazeera's Israeli bureau chief, to discuss the network's coverage of a Hamas-staged candlelight protest last month in the Gaza Strip, following Israel's reduction of electricity and fuel supplies.

The Foreign Ministry says the station cooperated with the Hamas propaganda campaign.

Al-Omary denied that their coverage is biased and said they're "just delivering the news."

On Monday, al-Jazeera broadcast an interview from Hamas' al-Aksa satellite television with senior Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Zahar.

"After I thank god [Allah], the praised and almighty, I thank the people of the media, specifically the al-Aksa and al-Jazeera stations, and all the stations that showed pictures of the pulse of the Palestinian majority," al-Zahar said.

"Thank you to all those who gave support in presenting the pulse of the Palestinian majority [Hamas], which says we will resist until the Day of Judgment," he said.

Source: The Jerusalem Post