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''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that Palestinian militants had fired on IDF soldiers, after which the soldiers returned fire.<ref name=":0" /> Multiple eye-witnesses, including two journalists standing next to Abu Akleh, reported that the area had been relatively quiet immediately prior to her death, disputing Israeli statements of her having died in a crossfire.<ref name=wapo>{{Cite news |last=Hendrix |first=Steve |date=2022-05-11 |title=American reporter killed by IDF, network says; Israel calls for inquiry |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/11/israel-jazeera-journalist-jenin/ |access-date=2022-05-11}}</ref> ''Al Jazeera'' reported that according to their [[Ramallah]] bureau chief, [[Walid Al-Omari]], there was no shooting by Palestinian gunmen.<ref name=":1" /> Al-Omari also stated that Abu Akleh had been wearing a helmet and was shot in an unprotected area under her ear, suggesting that this demonstrated she was "deliberately targeted".<ref name=":3" /> Video of the shooting showed Abu Akleh wearing a blue [[flak jacket]] that was clearly marked "PRESS".<ref name=":0" />
''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that Palestinian militants had fired on IDF soldiers, after which the soldiers returned fire.<ref name=":0" /> Multiple eye-witnesses, including two journalists standing next to Abu Akleh, reported that the area had been relatively quiet immediately prior to her death, disputing Israeli statements of her having died in a crossfire.<ref name=wapo>{{Cite news |last=Hendrix |first=Steve |date=2022-05-11 |title=American reporter killed by IDF, network says; Israel calls for inquiry |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/11/israel-jazeera-journalist-jenin/ |access-date=2022-05-11}}</ref> ''Al Jazeera'' reported that according to their [[Ramallah]] bureau chief, [[Walid Al-Omari]], there was no shooting by Palestinian gunmen.<ref name=":1" /> Al-Omari also stated that Abu Akleh had been wearing a helmet and was shot in an unprotected area under her ear, suggesting that this demonstrated she was "deliberately targeted".<ref name=":3" /> Video of the shooting showed Abu Akleh wearing a blue [[flak jacket]] that was clearly marked "PRESS".<ref name=":0" />

According to Reporters Without Borders, 144 Palestinian journalists have been wounded by Israeli forces across the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2018 and in April of 2022, the [[International Federation of Journalists]] filed a complaint with the [[International Criminal Court]] accusing Israeli forces of systematic targeting of journalists.<ref name = GuardBP />


=== Responses ===
=== Responses ===

Revision as of 18:04, 11 May 2022

Shireen Abu Akleh
شيرين أبو عاقلة
Born3 January 1971
Jerusalem
Died (aged 51)
Jenin, State of Palestine
Cause of deathGunshot wound
NationalityPalestinian and American[1]
Alma materYarmouk University
OccupationJournalist
EmployerAl Jazeera

Shireen Abu Akleh (3 January 1971 – 11 May 2022) was a Palestinian-American journalist who worked as a reporter for the Arabic-language channel of Al Jazeera for 25 years until she was killed on 11 May 2022 while covering a raid on Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank by the Israel Defense Forces. Al-Jazeera and the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that she was killed by Israeli forces, while Israel initially said she was killed as a result of an exchange of fire with Palestinian militants[2] although subsequently, an Israeli spokesperson said that it was not yet known who was responsible.[3]

Early life and education

Abu Akleh was born in 1971 in Jerusalem; her family were Arab Palestinian Christians from Bethlehem. She attended secondary school in Beit Hanina, then matriculated at the Jordan University of Science and Technology to study architecture; she later transferred to Yarmouk University in Jordan from which she graduated with a bachelor's degree in print journalism. After graduating, Abu Akleh returned to Palestine.[4]

Career

Abu Akleh worked as a journalist for Radio Monte Carlo and Voice of Palestine.[5] She additionally worked for the UNRWA, Amman Satellite Channel, and MIFTAH.[4] In 1997, she began working as a journalist for Al Jazeera,[6] becoming well known as a reporter on their Arabic-language channel.[6][7] She lived and worked in East Jerusalem, reporting on major events related to Palestine including the Second Intifada, and additionally covering Israeli politics.[6] She often reported on funerals for Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.[8] Abu Akleh continued in her role with Al Jazeera until she was killed in 2022.[9]

Death

On 11 May 2022, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced the death of Abu Akleh. According to Al-Jazeera, she had been shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while reporting on IDF raids in Jenin refugee camp. Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting the victim.[10][9] Abu Akleh was present at a raid which the Israeli military stated was targeted at capturing "terror suspects".[6] Al Jazeera said that Abu Akleh was shot in the head by the IDF,[9][11] and transported to Ibn Sina Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.[11] She was 51 years old.[4][1] Another journalist, Ali Samodi[11] of Al-Quds newspaper, was shot in the back but survived; two other Palestinians were transported to a hospital in moderate condition.[6]

Haaretz reported that Palestinian militants had fired on IDF soldiers, after which the soldiers returned fire.[6] Multiple eye-witnesses, including two journalists standing next to Abu Akleh, reported that the area had been relatively quiet immediately prior to her death, disputing Israeli statements of her having died in a crossfire.[2] Al Jazeera reported that according to their Ramallah bureau chief, Walid Al-Omari, there was no shooting by Palestinian gunmen.[9] Al-Omari also stated that Abu Akleh had been wearing a helmet and was shot in an unprotected area under her ear, suggesting that this demonstrated she was "deliberately targeted".[4] Video of the shooting showed Abu Akleh wearing a blue flak jacket that was clearly marked "PRESS".[6]

Responses

Al Jazeera described the killing of Abu Akleh as a "horrifying crime that breaches international norms" and was committed "in cold blood".[6] The network's managing director Giles Trendle stated that the network was "shocked and saddened" by her death and called for a transparent investigation.[9]

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, stated that he considered Israeli forces "fully responsible" for Abu Akleh's death. A Palestinian official[who?] said that Abu Akleh had been "martyred by the bullets of the Israeli occupation", while Hussein al-Sheikh tweeted that the "crime of silencing the word" had been "committed once again, and the truth is murdered by the bullets of the Israeli occupation".[6] Head of the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom Husam Zomlot described Abu Akleh as a "beloved journalist" and his close friend.[9]

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett initially posted a tweet blaming the death on Palestinian gunmen, citing a video posted by the Israeli military.[12] Human rights organization B'Tselem documented the exact location from which the Palestinian gunmen fired and the exact location in which Abu Akleh had been killed, noting that the two locations were hundreds of meters apart.[13] The Washington Post verified the distance between the two locations.[2] Later in the day, the Israeli military chief, Lt Gen Aviv Kochavi, said: “At this stage we cannot determine by whose fire she was harmed and we regret her death.” [3]

According to Amos Harel, Israeli communications on the incident were overly hasty, and risked feeding suspicions of a cover-up.Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel told Israel Hayom he assumed Palestinian gunfire was to blame for her death.[14] Ran Kochav, a brigadier general and spokesperson for the IDF, told Kan that he did not believe Abu Akleh was killed by IDF forces. He stated that the IDF had proposed opening a joint investigation but that he did not expect "the Palestinians" to cooperate, saying that "the Red Crescent took the body away" immediately after she was shot.[6] According to Haaretz, Kochav's statement was made "before any offer was relayed to the Palestinians" and several hours passed before Foreign Minister Yair Lapid discussed the situation with senior PA official Hussein al-Sheikh, who denied that any offer was made.[15]

The United States Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, said "I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin."[16] US State Department spokesman Ned Price and US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield both strongly condemned the killing. The former called it an "affront to media freedom everywhere" and said the perpetrators "must be held accountable", while the latter called for a "thorough investigation".[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Abdulrahim, Raja (11 May 2022). "Al Jazeera Journalist Is Killed During Clashes in West Bank". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Hendrix, Steve (11 May 2022). "American reporter killed by IDF, network says; Israel calls for inquiry". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Al Jazeera accuses Israeli forces of killing journalist in West Bank". the Guardian. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d وتد, محمد (11 May 2022). "استشهاد الصحافية شيرين أبو عاقلة برصاص الاحتلال في جنين" [Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by the occupation's bullets in Jenin]. Arab48 (in Arabic). Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  5. ^ "AQB Honors College hosts Al Jazeera Reporter Shireen Abu Akleh". Hona Al Quds. Al-Quds University. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Khoury, Jack (11 May 2022). "Al Jazeera Reporter Killed, Another Journalist Wounded in Israeli Army Raid in Jenin". Haaretz. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Al-Jazeera reporter killed during Israeli raid in West Bank". Associated Press. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  8. ^ نوفل, عزيزة (5 January 2002). "شرين أبو عاقلة مراسلة الجزيرة الفضائية" [Shireen Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera correspondent]. Arabiyat Magazine (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 13 October 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Israeli forces shoot dead Al Jazeera journalist". Al Jazeera. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Veteran Al Jazeera journalist shot dead in West Bank". 11 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Hammad, Shatha (11 May 2022). "Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh shot dead during Israeli raid in the West Bank". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  12. ^ "https://twitter.com/naftalibennett/status/1524300920959508484". Twitter. Retrieved 11 May 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  13. ^ "https://twitter.com/btselem/status/1524346253655556097". Twitter. Retrieved 11 May 2022. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  14. ^ Amos Harel. 'Killing of Palestinian Journalist Requires an International Probe – and Might Spark Escalation,' Haaretz 13 May 2022
  15. ^ Yaniv Kubovich, Jack Khoury, Jonathan Lis 'Israel Proposed Joint Probe Into Journalist's Death, but Didn't Tell the Palestinians,' Haaretz 13 May 2022.
  16. ^ a b Staff, Al Jazeera. "US envoy in Israel urges 'thorough' probe into Abu Akleh killing". www.aljazeera.com.
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