Remembering Shireen Abu Akleh one year on amid calls for justice
It’s been a year since the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot in the head and killed whilst reporting near a refugee camp on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, she was covering an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) raid.
Abu Akleh was a much-loved journalist across the Arab world, working for Al Jazeera. She is being remembered by family, friends, and colleagues today, as tributes are paid and fans celebrate her life.
But amid the celebrations of her incredible life, one year on from her death still no one has been held accountable. Those who knew her best have renewed their calls for justice.
The IDF admitted the possibility that she was killed by a soldier but maintains it was accidental and refuses to open a criminal investigation.
There have been multiple investigations including a UN probe, which concluded that Israeli forces were responsible for her death. The Biden administration has largely embarrassed Israel’s version of events and had initially resisted launching its own independent investigation into the killing of the Palestinian-American citizen, pressure from Congress forced the administration to agree to an FBI inquiry last November. The international criminal court (ICC) has also received the case, but proceedings typically take years, and Israel is not an ICC member.
Abu Akleh’s death highlights a larger issue for Palestinian journalists. A recent report from the Committee to Protect Journalists revealed that Israel has not charged or held any soldier accountable for the killings of at least 20 journalists since 2001, 18 of whom were Palestinian. Israeli officials often dismiss evidence and witness claims and investigations take an extended period, leaving families of the victims with little recourse for justice. The region has witnessed increased violence since Abu Akleh’s death, with rising tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Concerns of a return to full-scale fighting have emerged as the death toll continues to rise.
Despite the lack of justice, the recognition of Abu Akleh’s contributions continues to grow. Universities have announced awards and scholarships in her name, a street in Ramallah has been renamed after her, and a media museum is scheduled to open in the city in 2025.
Whilst the challenges grow and violence remains, there is a community determined to continue resisting and remain hopeful and the memory of Abu Akleh and her dedication to exposing the realities of Israeli occupation lives on, inspiring a new generation to pursue truth and justice.
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