Peoples Dispatch
[On Wednesday, May 11, senior Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51) was killed by the Israeli security forces when she was covering a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank. She was shot in the face despite wearing a press vest which identified her as a journalist. Another Palestinian journalist and Akleh’s colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also wounded in the shooting. He was shot in the back and was admitted to a hospital where he was reported to be out of danger.
In response to the grave human rights violations and violation to the freedom of press, a group of progressive media outlets from across the world released the following statement.]
We, a group of progressive news publications from around the world, condemn the brutal assassination of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Shireen, a skilled and sensitive journalist at Al Jazeera, was covering a violent raid on the Jenin refugee camp by Israeli forces when she, and other journalists, were shot at by Israeli snipers despite being clearly identified as a journalist. Shireen, who was wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof vest, was killed by a shot to the face. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also shot and injured but is recovering.
Statements released by Israeli officials and mainstream media attempting to shift responsibility for her death away from Israeli forces are irresponsible. Further, her death is not an anomaly nor accidental. Over the last several years, Palestinian journalists have been repeatedly targeted by the Israeli state, suffering judicial harassment and violence at the hands of Israeli forces. We also remember Yaser Murtaja, a Palestinian videographer and photo journalist, who was killed when covering the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip on April 7, 2018.
We stand with the people of Palestine who continue to resist the violent Israeli apartheid regime and the brave journalists who put their lives on the line to tell their stories.
(For list of signatories, see Peoples Dispatch website. Peoples Dispatch is an international media organization with the mission of highlighting voices from people’s movements and organizations across the globe.)
