The death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and Israel and around the world. The Al Jazeera reporter was ‘shot in the head’ on Wednesday morning, falling victim to the same conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that she had chronicled, killed under murky circumstances as Israeli soldiers conducted a raid on the West Bank town of Jenin.
In life, Abu Akleh was a ‘voice of Palestine’ she was more than a journalist, for many ordinary Palestinians she was a symbol.
In this week’s In Review, we pay tribute to the life and work of Shireen Abu Akleh.
“I know of a lot of girls who grew up basically standing in front of a mirror and holding their hair brushes and pretending to be Shireen”
Shireen Abu Akleh fell victim to the conflict she covered
Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian-American journalist who worked for Al Jazeera for over 25 years – she was known for her “cool demeanour and professionalism” and was a household name across the Middle East – mainly for her reporting on the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
She was shot and killed on May 11 2022 while covering an Israel Defense Forces raid on the West Banj city of Jenin.
In an article for the Independent International Correspondent Borzou Daragahi describes her death as falling victim to the same conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that she had been chronicling for many years. Her death, at time of publication, is still under “murky circumstances”.
Who was Shireen Abu Akleh?
Shireen Abu Akleh was a 51-year-old Jerusalem-born Palestinian American. She had become a regular fixture in homes across the Arab world and known globally through her work for Al Jazeera media company. Her death has sent shockwaves through Israel, the Middle East and across the world.
“She was definitely the voice of Palestine in every Arab home,” one international journalist said in an interview.
She was born in 1971 to a Catholic family from Bethlehem. She spent time in the United States when she was younger and obtained U.S. citizenship through family on her mother’s side, who lived in New Jersey.
She went on to study architecture at University in Jordan before transferring to study print journalism.
She lived and worked in East Jerusalem reporting on the major events related to Palestine and often covered funerals of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
After graduating she worked for several media outlets, including Voice of Palestine radio and the Amman Satellite Channel, before joining Al Jazeera in 1997 – where she remained until her death.
She was well known for her style of reporting and her iconic signoffs. “I know of a lot of girls who grew up basically standing in front of a mirror and holding their hair brushes and pretending to be Shireen,” said Dalia Hatuqa, a Palestinian American journalist and friend. “That’s how lasting and important her presence was.”
After her death, The New York Times and NPR both described her as “a household name” among Palestinians. The Times of Israel called her “a veteran journalist […] among Arab media’s most prominent figures”. And the BBC remembered her as being widely known and admired by both viewers and colleagues.
Mohammed Daraghmeh, the Ramallah bureau chief for the Arabic language news outlet Asharq News, who was friends with Abu Akleh for many years, said she had remained committed to covering all issues affecting the Palestinians, big and small.
Wessam Hammad, who worked with Shireen Abu Akleh for 17 years, said it was not the biggest or political stories that most interested her, but the smaller ones that showed how people lived. She would see a strory where others would not, he added.
She never married and leaves behind no children. Friends and colleagues remarked she was devoted her life to journalism.
What happened to Shireen Abu Aklah
The veteran journalist and her team were setting up to cover the ongoing Israeli raids on Jenin when one of her colleagues – Ali al-Samudi was shot in the shoulder, according to accounts collected by Palestinian journalists.
When Ali was hit with a bullet, it has been reported, that Shireen Abu Akleh began screaming ‘Ali was shot! Ali was shot!’” – she was then shot in the head.
Heavier shooting then erupted. In a video that has been circulating online, the footage shows journalists screaming for help “as automatic weapon fire sounded in the distance.”
Footage showed what appeared to be Abu Akleh’s lifeless body lying on the ground as a journalist screamed for an ambulance. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed Abu Akleh was hit in the head.
Who’s to blame?
Israeli forces say they were met with heavy gunfire and explosives during the riad and they responded by opening fire.
“It appears likely that armed Palestinians, who were firing indiscriminately at the time, were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
But Palestinian officals and Al Jazeera have blamed Israel for the shooting and say both journalists wore blue helmets and body armour which made it clear they were members of the press.
“It’s clear they were shot from the Israeli soldiers’ side,” said Mohammed Daraghmeh, Palestine-based bureau chief for Asharq. “There was no threat of any kind to soldiers. There was no crossfire, and they were away from the soldiers.”
Al Jazeera called the killing “blatant murder, violating international laws and norms” and accused Israeli forces of having “assassinated” Abu Akleh “in cold blood.” The media company called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for Shireen Abu Akleh’s death.
“Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen,” it said in a statement.
Israli’s foreign ministry released footage showing a Palestinian gunman in Jenin announcing they had shot an Israeli soldier – but noted no Israeli soldiers had been shot during the raid. Israel has called for a joint investigation into Aby Akleh’s death and welcomed a joint autopsy to identify the round that killed her.
“There are indications that Ms Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian terrorist fire,” the foreign ministry statement said. “Israel will be conducting a thorough investigation. We call on the Palestinian Authority to cooperate with said investigation to get to the truth.”
The reaction to her death
“She truly was a fixture of the Palestinian story and the fact that she has covered so many stormy events unscathed makes her death today even more shocking.”
Israel’s offer to investigate lacks credibility
Shireen Abu Akleh - reaction to her death
Abu Akleh was “highly regarded” and seen as one of Al Jazeera’s “pre-eminent talents, whose coverage faced the intense scrutiny of vested interests on both sides of the conflict since she made her on-screen debut in 1997,” reported the Guardian.
“Shireen is the face/voice of events in the Palestinian territory – probably everyone who follows news from there knows her,” said Tamara Alrifai, a senior spokesperson for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). “It’s not possible to follow news from the West Bank and not have heard/seen reporting from Shireen.
“She truly was a fixture of the Palestinian story and the fact that she has covered so many stormy events unscathed makes her death today even more shocking.”
Muzna Shihabi, a longstanding friend, said: “Shireen is a resilient person who lost her parents at a very young age but she bounced back and got her journalism degree at a time when journalists in the Arab world were just followers of their governments.
“She knew things were changing and she kept going on until she became the storyteller of the Palestine cause. She is a reference in the Arab world. Everyone in the street would stop and salute her for her courage and determination and unique way of telling the stories of Palestinians. Arabs cannot go to Palestine. Shireen took them there.”
The UK’s ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, tweeted: “Journalists must be allowed to work safely and freely. I urge a rapid, thorough and transparent investigation.”
I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Al Jazeera’s @ShireenNasri in Jenin this morning. Journalists must be allowed to work safely and freely. I urge a rapid, thorough and transparent investigation.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Abu Akleg’s death “horrifying” and called for a transparent investigation. She said protecting American citizens and journalists was “our highest priority.”
Thomas-Greenfield said Abu Akleh did “an extraordinary interview” with her in the West Bank last November. “I left there feeling extraordinary respect for her,” she said.
The UN Human Rights office urged for an “independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Impunity must end.”
United States
The US joined calls for a thorough probe.
“We are heartbroken by and strongly condemn the killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank,” Ned Price, US State Department Spokesman, said on Twitter. “The investigation must be immediate and thorough and those responsible must be held accountable. Her death is an affront to media freedom everywhere,” he added.
The US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides said he was “very sad” to learn about Abu Akleh’d death and called for a “thorough” investigation.
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
European Union
EU spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, Luis Miguel Bueno, said on Twitter: “We express our deepest condolences to her family and call for a swift and independent investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s Secretary-General said the killing was “a bloody reminder of the deadly system in which Israel locks Palestinians.”
“Israel is killing Palestinians left and right with impunity,” Agnes Callamard added.
The killing of @AlJazeera journalist Shirin Abu Akleh is a bloody reminder of the deadly system in which Israel locks Palestinians. Israel is killing Palestinians left and right with impunity. The international community must act to end #Israel#apartheid. https://t.co/RMitcXtJPG
Al Jazeera – the media company Abu Akleh had worked at since 1997 condemned the “blatant murder” that violates “international laws and norms” and called her death a “heinous crime, through which it is intended to prevent the media from fulfilling its message.”
“We hold the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of the late colleague Shireen,” the statement said.
Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority presidency condemned the killing as a “heinous crime” and says the murder was “part of the [Israeli] occupation’s policy of targeting journalists to obscure the truth and commit crimes silently”.
They said authorities have started an investigation and would take the case to the international criminal court.
Qatar
Qatar’s deputy PM and minister of foreign affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani offered his condolences to Abu Akleh’s family and colleagues on Twitter.
“Such horrific crimes by the occupation against unarmed Palestinian people should not pass without those responsible being held accountable and should not be subject to double standards,” said al-Thani.
Lolwah Alkhater, Qatar’s deputy foreign minister, called the killing “state-sponsored Israeli terrorism” and called for an end to “unconditional support to Israel”.
Israeli occupation killed Aljazeera journalist Sherine Abu Aqleh by shooting her in the face while wearing the Press vest and a helmet. She was covering their attack in Jenin refugee camp. This state sponsored Israeli terrorism must STOP, unconditional support to Israel must END. pic.twitter.com/Zg5QZkJ2bx
— لولوة الخاطر Lolwah Alkhater (@Lolwah_Alkhater) May 11, 2022
Israel
The Israeli military said its forces came under attack from heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin and they fired back. The military said it is “investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.”
The account has been contradicted by witness reports from other journalists who say there were no confrontations between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister, called on Palestinian authorities to hold a joint investigation into what he called an “unfortunate murder”, saying the Israeli forces would continue to operate everywhere “to prevent terrorism and the killing of Israelis”.
Egypt
The Egyptian foreign ministry paid tribute to Abu Akleh, condemning her death.
“We confirm that this [the killing of Abu Akleh] was a clear and heinous breach of international human rights law,” said the ministry in a statement.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s foreign ministry paid tribute to the journalist, saying: “We condemn the Israeli occupation’s deliberate killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Palestine.”
Pakistan
Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned the “assassination” of Abu Akleh.
“Silencing voices of those who tell stories of oppressed people is part of a deliberate strategy employed by Israel & India in Palestine & Occupied Kashmir,” he wrote on Twitter.
Strongly condemn the assassination of respected Al-Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, at the hands of Israeli forces. Silencing voices of those who tell stories of oppressed people is part of a deliberate strategy employed by Israel & India in Palestine & Occupied Kashmir.
Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said: “We are shocked and heavily oppose the actions of violence against journalists who are on duty and doing their job, we hope that such events of relevance are dealt with according to law and justice.”
Iran
Iran condemned Abu Akleh’s killing and said it shows what lengths Israel will go to in order to prevent the media from reporting the oppression of Palestinians.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh called on international organisations and global media representatives to investigate the issue and “make sure the Zionist regime is held responsible for this crime”. He added that Israel’s offer to investigate lacks credibility.
Belgium
“We offer our condolences to her loved ones and call for quick and strict investigation,” the Belgian foreign ministry said in a statement.
National Union of Journalists
The NUJ (which represents journalists in the UK and Ireland) said in a statement that it was shocked by the killing and called for a swift investigation to hold those responsible to account.
“Attacks against Palestinian journalists in Israel have been condemned by the NUJ and International Federation of Journalists and action must be taken by Israeli authorities to ensure the safety and protection of journalists in the country,” the NUJ said.
Analysing the truth
Shireen Abu Akleh being shot dead was caught on film, but Israeli authorities are sharing another video that they say adds doubt to who killed her.
Analysing the two videos that offer two versions of her death
Shireen Abu Akleh being shot dead was caught on film, but Israeli authorities are sharing another video that they say adds doubt to who killed her.
Two videos that are circulating online offer up two different narratives as to who killed the journalists on the outskirts of a Palestinian refugee camp.
In one video, you see the moment a Palestinian reporter is shot whilst clearly wearing a helmet and protective jacket labelled ‘press’ as those around her shout warnings that a sniper is firing at them.
One shows the moment a Palestinian reporter is shot while wearing a helmet and a protective jacket labelled ‘press’, as those around her shout warnings that a sniper is firing at them.
The video is 3.35 minutes long and runs continuously. This tells us the footage has not been edited to remove or add any segments.
The video shows that she was shot while next to another female journalist on the outskirts of a refugee camp in the town of Jenin.
Sky News has confirmed the location of the video by comparing it with street view images available on the mapping website Mapillary.
The video begins with the sound of shots being fired but the camera is pointing away from where Ms Abu Akleh and reporter Shatha Hanaysha are.
The video does not show Ms Abu Akleh at the exact moment she is shot.
Seconds after the gunfire is heard, people begin to shout for an ambulance and say that Shireen has been hit.
Four seconds after the initial gunfire, more shots are fired. After a pause of six seconds, gunfire is heard for the third time in the video.
Warning: Graphic video
Clearly depicts continued Israeli firing after Shireen Abu Akleh went down. Screams of “Ambulance”. One man tries to retrieve Shireen, others scream at him to move back from Israeli sniper range.
The camera then shows a woman lying face down on the floor wearing a blue flak jacket with the words ‘press’ in white capital letters and a helmet. Ms Hanaysha is next to her, also dressed in protective clothing and holding a camera.
A fourth-round of gunfire can be heard after a break of around 15 seconds.
Shortly after this, a man tries to cross the road toward the journalists.
“No, don’t come!”, Ms Hanaysha shouts. The group believe a sniper is firing at them.
A minute passes with no shots fired and a man closer to the woman manages to reach them.
He begins to pick up Ms Abu Akleh but is interrupted by the sound of a single shot. The noise causes Ms Hanaysha to cover her ears.
More shots follow while the man in the white t-shirt moves Ms Abu Akleh.
As he lifts her to take her to a waiting car, a large amount of blood can be seen coming from her head.
It is not possible to see who is shooting at any point in the video.
VIDEO 2 – Israel disputes blame
Israel argues that Abu Akleh’s death may be the result of being shot by a Palestinian and not Israeli forces.
PM Bennett on the sad death of veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh: "According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist pic.twitter.com/p1mdwG2V8t
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 11, 2022
A second video shows a man in a balaclava firing a gun down an alley, both Israel’s PM and FM have shared the video online.
English captions, checked by Sky News, are provided with the video.
One man’s words are translated on screen: “They’ve hit one, they’ve hit a soldier, he’s laying on the ground.”
Text then appears on screen saying: “No IDF soldier was injured in Jenin this morning.”
Mr Bennet’s account tweeted that the events in the video “increase the possibility that the Palestinian terrorists were the ones who shot the journalist.”
The foreign ministry’s tweet said: “Palestinian terrorists, firing indiscriminately, are likely to have hit Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla.”
The original source for the footage of the man firing down an alley appears to be a video shared by Palestinian militants.
Analysing the locations – do they match?
Sky News says it is not able to independently verify where the footage was shot using open-source tools like Google Street view because the area is not covered.
However, a researcher for B’Tselem, a Jerusalem-based non-profit which documents human rights violations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, uploaded a video walking through the locations of the footage that was shared by Israeli officials and of the shooting.
They filmed this after the attack in order to show the context of where the two locations are.
A comparison of the two videos shows the location appears to match.
The researcher walks in the direction the gunman fired – straight down the alleyway.
This appears to show that the alleyway does not lead directly to where the journalists were.
The researcher has to walk further along and make two turns to emerge onto the road where the attack happened. The exact location where Ms Abu Akleh was shot is at the bottom of this long road, some distance from where the researcher emerged.
AFP journalist Gareth Browne, who is in Jenin, also confirmed the location where the man in the balaclava was filmed standing in the clip shared by the Israeli authorities.
For Ms Hanaysha, who was less than a metre from where Ms Abu Akleh lay on the floor after being shot, what happened is evident in her opinion.
Speaking to reporters after the attack, she said: “It’s clear that the one who killed her wanted to shoot her where she was not covered… I consider what happened an assassination.”
An American journalist who worked for Al Jazeera since 1997, she was a much loved figure across the Middle East and wider world. She was shot dead on 11 May 2022.
She was known for her decades of reporting in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
