Shireen Abu Akleh – Al-Jazeera Iconic Journalist, Who Was Killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces

Today morning, Shireen Abu Akleh, a senior Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent, was shot dead by the Israeli forces during an army raid in Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Al-Jazeera channel and Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Despite wearing a press vest, Shireen Abu Akleh was shot in the head while covering the raid. The well-known Palestinian–American female reporter was immidiately taken to Ibn Sina hospital where she was announced dead.

International governments, including the US and UK, have called for a comprehensive investigation while the Israeli occupation army has strongly denied that it deliberately targeted journalists.

 

Shot Dead In-Duty

This morning, the Israeli occupation forces killed the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during her coverage of an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.

Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was a well-known Palestinian female reporter in Al-Jazeera channel; she was shot and died soon after, according to Palestinian health officials. 

Despite being protected by her press vest, the Zionist occupation forces shot the journalist in the head.

The Israeli military denied that its forces had shot Shireen Abu Akleh and another journalist saying that “Israeli soldiers came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin,” so they had to fire back.

The military said it is “investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen,” The Independent read.

Many other journalists were also present when the female journalist was shot and they had escorted her to hospital in critical condition, but there she was pronounced dead.

 

Giving a Voice to Palestinians

Shireen Abu Akleh was born in Jerusalem in 1971, and she studied architecture before entering the world of journalism at Yarmouk University in Jordan. 

After her graduation, she returned to Palestine and worked for several media outlets, like Voice of Palestine Radio.

Abu Akleh joined Al-Jazeera Media Network, a year after it was launched in 1996 where she became famous for her coverage of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000.

The Palestinian–American reporter “was a brave and kind journalist with an infectious laugh who was devoted to telling stories about ordinary Palestinians,” according to Al-Jazeera.

The veteran television reporter became well-known across the Arab world for her bold coverage of the Israeli occupation forces' crimes in Palestine.

“I chose journalism to be close to the people,” Abu Akleh said in one of her videos.

“It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I could bring their voice to the world.”

She covered big and small events, from the Gaza wars of 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2021 to the jailbreak of the six Palestinians who escaped a highly secure prison in northern Israel in September, 2021.

“Shireen was a trailblazer, an inspiration for us all,” said Dalia Hatuqa, an Al-Jazeera journalist who was a close friend of Abu Akleh, “her presence became synonymous with Al-Jazeera,” she added.

“Her voice was so beautiful, even when she was telling heart-breaking stories.”

 

Condemnations

Middle East Eye reporter Shatha Hanaysha said she and six other journalists, including Shireen Abu Akleh, were on the same scene when they came under fire from Israeli snipers, MEE reported.

The journalists who were together to cover the raid, came under fire “at the main entrance to Jenin refugee camp, near the main roundabout,” according to the same source.

There was a gunfight in the alleyways of the camp, but the journalists were far from the roundabout, even the fighters do not go there because there is no cover.

Several eyewitnesses confirmed that Shireen was shot shortly after arriving in Jenin refugee camp despite the absence of fighting in the area, so according to Al-Jazeera, the journalist was deliberately targeted. 

Mustafa Barghouti, the General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative condemns the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and said in the video below that “nobody should allow Israeli efforts to cover up the crime.”

In a statement, the Qatari-based broadcaster called on the international community to “condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague, Shireen Abu Akleh.”

Al-Jazeera described what happened to Shireen as “a premeditated, horrific, and heinous crime of assassination,” adding that “the crime violates international laws and norms.