Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022
An initial probe by the Israeli Army showed that the Israeli forces have fired dozens of bullets during the raid in the West Bank that led to the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51) on Wednesday, Israeli newspaper HAARETZ reported.
Slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
While the initial probe says that most of the Israeli fire was directed southwards, and Abu Akleh and a Reuters photographer who was wounded were positioned to the north of the Israeli forces, it admitted that ‘it appears that some Israeli fire was directed northwards as well, according to HAARETZ.
The probe is inconclusive if Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire or Palestinian gunmen while she was covering a military raid in Jenin on Wednesday.
According to sources, who spoke to the Hebrew newspaper, the probe showed that Abu Akleh was about 150 meters away from Israeli military forces when she was shot and killed.
M-16 Rifle
Israeli soldiers from the elite Duvdevan Unit fired a few dozen bullets during the raid in Jenin, the investigation shows, but whether it was Israeli or Palestinian gunfire that killed the Al Jazeera reporter is unknown.
The bullet, which struck her in the head, is 5.56 millimeters in diameter and was shot from an M16 rifle, but Haaretz said that ‘since such rifles are used by both the Israeli forces and Palestinian cells in the West Bank, the information is insufficient to determine which side fired the bullet’.
Sources told the newspaper that in the course of an arrest outside the Jenin refugee camp, 'hundreds of bullets were shot at Israeli troops, who responded by firing dozens of bullets at specific targets'.
The sources claimed that some of the rounds fired at them came from a gunman who they spotted on the roof of a house, an armed man peering from a window and others.
Most of the Israeli fire was directed southwards, while Abu Akleh and a Reuters photographer who was wounded were positioned to the north of the Israeli forces. Nevertheless, it appears that some Israeli fire was directed northwards as well, the proble claimed.
The paper said that officials believe that a ballistics examination of the Israeli troops' weapons could either confirm or refute the claim that the bullet that hit Abu Akleh was fired by an Israeli soldier.
UN demands probe into killing of Al Jazeera journalist in West Bank
AFP , Wednesday 11 May 2022
The UN human rights office on Wednesday said it was "appalled" at the killing of a veteran Al Jazeera reporter in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday and demanded a transparent investigation.
Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks to the media about the Tigray region of Ethiopia during a press conference at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 3, 2021. AP
Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead as she covered an Israeli army raid.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said it was on the ground and trying to verify the facts.
"We are appalled at the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin, Palestine," UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's office said on Twitter.
"Our office is on the ground verifying the facts.
"We urge an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end."
The Qatar-based TV channel Al Jazeera charged that Israeli forces deliberately and "in cold blood" shot Abu Akleh in the head during the unrest in the Jenin refugee camp earlier on Wednesday.
While Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was "likely" that "armed Palestinians, who were indiscriminately firing at the time, were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist".
EU condemns killing of Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in West Bank
Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022
The European Union has condemned the killing of Palestinian-American Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank on Wednesday.
Palestinians carry the flag-draped body of veteran Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as it is carried toward the offices of the news channel in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on May 11, 2022. - Al-Jazeera said Abu Akleh, 51, a prominent figure in the channel s Arabic news service was shot dead by Israeli troops early Wednesday as she was covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
Abu Akleh was killed by what Al-Jazeera says was Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank. Another journalist, Ali Al-Samoud, was wounded in the incident.
"Our condolences go to her family, friends, and colleagues," EU spokesperson said in a statement.
"It is essential that a thorough, independent investigation clarifies all the circumstances of these incidents as soon as possible and that those responsible are brought to justice. It is unacceptable to target journalists while they perform their job. Journalists covering conflict situations must be ensured safety and protection at all times."
The EU spokesperson affirmed that the European Union stands in solidarity with journalists and will continue to support their fundamental work, in particular while covering conflicts.
Marcel Khalife, Fairuz, Assala mourn killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
Ahram Online , Wednesday 11 May 2022
Shortly following news of the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by alleged Israeli gunfire in the West Bank, Arab artists took to social media to express their sorrow and condemn the killing.
Palestinians hold posters displaying veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was, according to the network, shot dead by Israeli troops as she covered a raid on the West Bank s Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022. AFP
Among the first to mourn Abu Akleh was Lebanese composer and oud player, as well as strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, Marcel Khalife.
“Shireen Abu Akleh will continue living with us through her message of tenderness and love, under the blazing sky,” Khalife wrote on his Twitter account.
Iconic Lebanese singer Fairuz posted a photo of Abu Akleh, adding a quote from lyrics to one of her songs: “We cannot stop the humiliation, killing, fear and displacement.” The song is based on John Lennon’s Imagine, which calls for peace.
“The wounded girl of Palestine,” Syrian singer Assala wrote on Twitter, adding that “she believed in her homeland and her work, and paid with her life for the truth.”
Independent musicians also offered their condolences. El Far3i, a Palestinian and Jordanian songwriter and rapper, wrote on Twitter, “she covered the news of the land and the martyrs until she was martyred herself.”
Photos of the journalist were also shared by dozens of Arab artists, including Palestinian-Egyptian poet Tamim Al-Barghouti.
Abu Akleh was killed, seemingly by Israeli soldiers, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin earlier today.
Al-Jazeera and a reporter who was wounded in the incident have blamed Israeli forces for the killing. Israeli authorities say they are still investigating.
Abu Akleh, 51, was born in Jerusalem. She began working for Al-Jazeera in 1997 and regularly reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories. In video footage of the incident, she can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word “PRESS.”
Abu Akleh’s producer Ali Samoudi, who was wounded in the incident, told The Associated Press they were among a group of seven reporters who were covering the raid early on Wednesday.
Israeli minister pledges full probe into killing of Al Jazeera reporter in West Bank
AP , Wednesday 11 May 2022
Israel's defense minister promised a thorough investigation of the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday and asked that Palestinian officials hand over the bullet that killed her.
Benny Gantz. AP
Benny Gantz told reporters that Israel has been in touch with US and Palestinian officials, and said all parts of the investigation would be made public.
The Israeli army initially suggested that Abu Akleh might have been killed by stray fire from Palestinian militants. The military chief, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, later stepped back from that assertion, saying it was unclear who had fired the deadly bullet.
But Gantz was more cautious Wednesday evening. ``We are trying to figure out exactly what happened....I don't have final conclusions.''
``I am very sorry for what happened,'' Gantz told reporters.
``Currently, we do not know what was the direct cause of Shireen's death. We are very decisive to have a full-scale investigation of this process, and we hope to get Palestinian cooperation on this issue. Without the report of the pathological findings and the forensic findings, it would be very hard for us to find out what happened on the ground.''
``We investigated all the troops that were part of the operation,`` he added. ``So far, we don't have any final conclusion.''
Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny to Israel's military justice system, which is being examined as part of a war crimes probe conducted by the International Criminal Court. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media.
Slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was icon of Palestinian coverage
AP , Wednesday 11 May 2022
A veteran Al Jazeera correspondent who was shot dead on Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East whose unflinching coverage was known to millions of viewers.
Women watch an Al Jazeera obituary report on TV at the family home of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina in Israeli-occupied east Jerusalem on Wednesday, after she was killed as she covered an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. AFP
News of Shireen Abu Akleh's death reverberated across the region. The 51-year-old journalist became a household name synonymous with Al Jazeera's coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories, including during the second intifada, or uprising, that killed thousands of Palestinians.
Abu Akleh's name trended across Twitter in Arabic on Wednesday, setting social media alight with support for the Palestinians.
Her image was projected over the main square in the West Bank city of Ramallah as mourners flooded the Al Jazeera offices there and her family home in east Jerusalem.
Abu Akleh's coverage of the harsh realities of Israel's military occupation was inextricably linked with her own experiences as a Palestinian journalist on the front lines.
Her death underscores the heavy price the conflict continues to exact on Palestinians, regardless of their role as journalists.
Although she was also a US citizen who often visited America in the summers, she lived and worked in her homeland Palestine in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian whose family was originally from Bethlehem, was born and raised in Jerusalem. She leaves behind a brother and her parents.
In an Al Jazeera video released last year, Abu Akleh recalled the scale of destruction and "the feeling that death was at times just around the corner'' during her coverage of the second intifada, from 2000-to 2005.
"Despite the dangers, we were determined to do the job," she said.
"I chose journalism so I could be close to the people,'' she added.
"It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I was able to communicate their voice to the world.''
Abu Akleh joined Al Jazeera in 1997, just a year after the groundbreaking Arabic news network launched.
Among her many assignments were covering five wars in Gaza and Israel's war with Lebanon in 2006. She reported on forced home evictions, the killings of Palestinian youth, the hundreds of Palestinians held without charge in Israeli prisons, and the continuous expansion of Jewish settlements.
Her longtime producer, Wessam Hammad, said Abu Akleh possessed an incredible ability to remain calm under pressure.
"Shireen worked all these years with a commitment to the values and ethics of our profession,'' he said of Abu Akleh, who the network called "the face of Al Jazeera in Palestine.''
He and Abu Akleh were often caught in Israeli cross-fire during the many stories they covered together, he said. On one assignment, their car was filled with tear gas and they struggled to breathe, When they would think back on these moments, he said Abu Akleh would laugh and marvel at how they managed to survive.
Images of the moments after Abu Akleh was shot in the head in the West Bank town of Jenin circulated online and were broadcast on Al Jazeera and other Arabic news channels.
Wearing a helmet and a vest clearly marked "PRESS," Abu Akleh's body was shown lying face down in a patch of sand. A Palestinian man jumped over a wall to reach her as gunshots rang out, dragging her motionless body to a car.
In a video from the West Bank hospital where Abu Akleh was pronounced dead, a male colleague was seen weeping at her hospital bed as others choked back tears.
A female correspondent for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip wept on air as she reported from a vigil for the journalist.
Later Wednesday, Abu Akleh's body, draped in a Palestinian flag and covered by a wreath of flowers, was carried through downtown Ramallah on a red stretcher. Hundreds chanted, "With our spirit, with our blood, we will redeem you, Shireen.''
An outpouring of condemnation came from governments around the world. The US State Department called her death "an affront to media freedom.''
Al Jazeera and witnesses, including her producer who was shot in the back Wednesday, said Israeli forces killed her.
Israel said it was unclear who was responsible, calling it "premature and irresponsible to cast blame at this stage.''
It had started as another routine assignment for Abu Akleh. She'd emailed colleagues that she was heading to the Jenin refugee camp to check on reports of an Israeli military raid.
"I will bring you the news as soon as the picture becomes clear,'' she wrote.
"Generations grew up seeing her work,'' producer Hammad, said.
"People listened to Shireen's voice and were influenced by her to study journalism so they could be like her.''
Abu Akleh's niece, Lina Abu Akleh, described her as a "best friend'' and "second mom''.
"She is someone that I was looking up to since I was a kid, watching all of her reports," she told journalists from the family's home. "I never thought this day would come where the news would be about her."
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