Israel's agriculture ministry has ordered the indefinite closure of the country's largest slaughterhouse, following an investigative report exposing cruel treatment of Australian cattle.

Agriculture minister Uri Ariel ordered the Dabbah slaughterhouse in northern Israel immediately cease activities "following suspected violations of the animal welfare act and slaughtering regulations", his office said on Tuesday (local time).

The decision came following a request from the Australian Department of Agriculture, who received footage and details from rights group Animals Australia of the alleged violations.

The footage broadcast on Sunday showed workers cutting throats of cattle and hanging them while they were still conscious.

Employees were also seen beating calves with sticks and electrifying them with shockers on their way to being killed.

Workers also pulled calves by their tails to bring them to where they were eventually slaughtered.

Australian companies Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) and Otway Livestock Exports have moved in to take over the abattoir, which is owned by the Dabbah family.

Mr Ariel had already last week ordered a temporary closure of Dabbah, pending further examination.

"I will show zero tolerance towards harming animals," Mr Ariel said, noting poor sanitary conditions at Dabbah and that surveillance cameras were pointed away from the actual areas of alleged abuse.

A spokeswoman for animal rights group Anonymous Israel said around 60 per cent of the meat consumed in Israel is imported frozen.

Of livestock slaughtered in Israel, half is raised locally and half imported.

The spokeswoman said approximately 120,000 cattle were slaughtered at Dabbah each year.

An Anonymous activist exposed similar crimes in major Israeli abattoir Adom Adom in 2012, leading to indictments against some low-ranking employees and pledges by the slaughterhouse to diminish the suffering of animals.

AFP/ABC