The Qatar-based media outlet has pledged to prosecute the perpetrators of Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing.
The media outlet Al Jazeera accused Israeli forces of “deliberately targeting and killing our colleague” on Wednesday after journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot in the face while covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Al Jazeera Media Network said that Abu Akleh — who worked as the publication’s Palestine correspondent — was wearing a press jacket that clearly identified her as a journalist when Israeli forces shot her “with live fire.”
Al Jazeera, which is based in Qatar, called the attack “a blatant murder,” saying Abu Akleh, 51, was “assassinated in cold blood.”
The statement continued:
“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns this heinous crime, which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty. Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen. It also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their intentional targeting and killing of Shireen.
The Israeli authorities are also responsible for the targeting of Al Jazeera producer Ali al-Samudi, who was also shot in the back while covering the same event, and he is currently undergoing treatment.
Al Jazeera extends its sincere condolences to the family of Shireen in Palestine, and to her extended family around the world, and we pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice.
Footage from the scene shows the moments after Abu Akleh was shot.
(Warning: The video is disturbing)
Footage shows the moments of Al Jazeera’s senior reporter Shireen Abu Aqla’s death.
In appearance, Israeli footage that says there was a Palestinian cross fire doesn’t fit with this location.
She is also wearing a helmet and body armour. pic.twitter.com/fYCMQqxlxf
— Rag?p Soylu (@ragipsoylu) May 11, 2022
The Israeli government initially denied responsibility for killing Abu Akleh and wounding al-Samudi, claiming that they may have been shot by “Palestinian gunmen.”
“There is a considerable chance that armed Palestinians, who fired wildly, were the ones who brought about the journalist’s unfortunate death,” said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
But al-Samudi, speaking to the Associated Press following the incident, dismissed the Israeli government’s narrative as a “complete lie.”
“He said they were all wearing protective gear that clearly marked them as reporters, and they passed by Israeli troops so the soldiers would know that they were there,” AP reported. “He said a first shot missed them, then a second struck him, and a third killed Abu Akleh. He said there were no militants or other civilians in the area — only the reporters and the army.”
Very sad to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh of @AJArabic @AJEnglish. I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin.
— Ambassador Tom Nides (@USAmbIsrael) May 11, 2022
An outpouring of grief and tributes followed news of Abu Akleh’s killing.
Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian-American political analyst, wrote on Twitter that “Shireen was one of the bravest, longest-standing Palestinian journos and an inspiration to so many Palestinians, especially young women in the field of journalism.”
Shireen was one of the bravest, longest standing Palestinian journos and an inspiration to so many Palestinians, especially young women in the filed of journalism. Today she was killed by the Israeli Military. Another day, another war crime. https://t.co/tEv1jKhj95
— Yousef Munayyer (@YousefMunayyer) May 11, 2022
In an interview, Abu Akleh’s friend and colleague Dalia Hatuqa said that Shireen “was there in every town, every Palestinian town, village, alleyway, refugee camp.”
“Everybody knew her name,” Hatuqa continued. “Everybody welcomed her. She wanted to do the stories that nobody else wanted to do. And she gave a voice to a lot of people who we otherwise wouldn’t have heard from.”
Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
This article is from Common Dreams.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
The US Empire and vassals can do whatever they want with impunity. The US has bombed embassies, offices of media companies, murdered journalists, mass murdered millions of innocents. The Saudis recently chopped off the heads of 81 people without any due process of law. They chopped up the body of Kashoggi into pieces after murdering him (one of KSA’s most prominent journalists). The Israelis have targeted many Palestinian journalists before, this time one of the most famous.
They know nothing will be done: the US/UK/EU will support them unconditionally. They have a financial incentive to commit atrocities: the US will always shower them with more money and weapons.
However, once Dollar Hegemony erodes to a critical point, the US will not be able to finance war and atrocities and Israel won’t be able to sustain its occupation of Palestine. All powers rise and fall, the US and vassals are declining powers. (see The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, Paul Kennedy)
Hell on Earth .
Not the first time that I am ashamed of my Jewish background.
Please don’t be ashamed, most Jews don’t live in Israel. Israel does not speak for Jewish people. Israel is a settler-colonial state that was largely created by the British Empire as an extension of European colonial power (see Balfour Declaration). However, you may feel since Israel claims to speak for all Jews, that one must actively protest Israel and anti-Zionist Jews should speak up.
The Zionists (far-right, authoritarian racists) will always call people names because they have no argument. “Self-hating Jew” Anti-Semite, supporter of Hamas blah blah BS…
Oh, well, shame absolves you. How about a a street protest against IDF/Mossad assassinations? Busy?
And not the last, me dear…
Oh Well.Just another murder of a Palestinian by the world’s most moral military,it happens nearly every day. There will be no international out cry, sanctions or meaning ful actions to halt the ethnic cleansing of Palestine,just more of the same.
Oh Well! Just another murder of a Palistinian by the world’s most moral military,a daily occurrence so it seems.Ther will be no world =wide condemnation,no sanctions,no long lasting serious actions taken to halt the the ethnic cleansing{ genocide} in Palestine after all she was only a Palestinian.
I am brought to tears for our sister, Shireen.
Whether the sniper acted alone or under orders is irrelevant when all of the occupiers are continuously incited to hate and function within a culture of impunity. The IDF can without doubt easily identify Shireen’s murderer. That person must be subjected to swift and harsh retribution.
I liked Moshe Dyan.
I served him dinner in 76
I have a T tshirt with his picture on it.
I was once a body guard for ADL president
Abraham Foxman and his wife.
Currently, I am not in synch with Israeli behavior.
But then i haven’t been in synch with planet behavior since 58.
Humans are in deep shit.
This was definitely a deliberate assassination, a sniper hit; after all, she was wearing body armor and a helmet. Thus, the only way to kill her was to shoot her in her face.
Now, imagine for a moment that a Russian sniper in Ukraine would kill a BBC or CNN reporter. The US and its NATO minions would have a propaganda field day with screams about war crimes, evil Russian barbarians, more sanctions, etc.
My thoughts exactly. BUT, we’ve known now for many years, Israelis are untouchable despite the FACT they commit crimes on a World scale. When will the World stand up to these parasitic murderers and call them to pay for their crimes against humanity ????? Where are the demands for Crimes against humanity currently being espoused so loudly in Ukraine ? How come International Laws apply to the Russians but not to Israel ?
No need to imagine, it has happened several times already in Ukraine. Not BBC or CNN though, Fox News and independents. Usually at or near Ukrainian checkpoints. Usually no Russians known to be nearby, but of course who else could it be??
Horrible.
Israel’s a lunatic state. Its diaspora functionaries are currently leading the US proxy war on Russia. If they aren’t controlled things could possibly spin out of control.
Yes, there are quite a few of these diaspora assets in key positions. Two individuals at the state department come to mind. Both with interesting backgrounds and resumes, like facilitating the deadly 2014 coup d’etat in Ukraine that set everything we’re witnessing today in motion.
Is Zionist-Israel really just a lunatic state? Would one not think that a lunatic state is also a loser or failed state? But they are very successful at what they do, like getting away with doing things no other nation would be allowed to do – and that for decades, while at the same time receiving billions upon billions in taxpayer dollars in aid.