Al Jazeera journalist was murdered in cold blood, Qatar claims

Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, one of the stars of the Al Jazeera network, was shot dead on Wednesday while she was covering an Israeli army incursion into the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Qatari channel said the reporter, a 51-year-old Christian Palestinian, was killed “deliberately” and “in cold blood” by Israeli forces. On the contrary, the Prime Minister of that country, Naftali Bennett, stated that she “probably” died from Palestinian gunfire.

Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead on Wednesday in Jenin, a Palestinian city where the Israeli army – which has occupied the West Bank since 1967 – recently multiplied operations.

The journalist herself died after a bullet hit her in the head, while another fellow journalist, Ali al-Samudi, was shot in the back and her condition is stable, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

“In what is clearly an assassination, in violation of international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces killed the correspondent in cold blood after she was shot with live ammunition early this morning,” Al Jazeera said in the statement.

Qatar’s deputy foreign minister, Lolwah Al Khater, said on Twitter that Israeli troops shot the journalist, despite the fact that the woman was wearing a press vest that identified her, as well as a protective helmet. The deputy minister also described the act as “Israeli state terrorism.”

“We condemn this heinous crime, through which it is intended to prevent the media from carrying out their message, and we hold the Israeli government and the occupying forces responsible for the murder of the late colleague Shireen,” the Qatari chain points out in the release.

Al Jazeera also called on the international community to “condemn and hold accountable the Israeli occupation forces for deliberately attacking and killing our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh.”

Al Jazeera producer Ali Al Samudi was also “attacked by being shot in the back during coverage and is now being treated,” the outlet said, without giving further details about his health.

Both journalists wore her vests identified as press and she had been working for the international network since the beginning of the Second Intifada.

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday condemned the shooting death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli army incursion into the occupied West Bank and called for an independent investigation into what happened.

Also, the United States wants a “transparent” investigation into the shooting murder of the Al-Jazeera network communicator, said the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“This must be investigated in a transparent manner. We encourage both parties to participate in this investigation so that we can understand why this happened,” the ambassador told reporters, stressing that the “absolute priority” of the United States is “the protection of American citizens and journalists.

In addition, Reporters Without Borders declared itself in a statement, asking, like the EU, for an independent investigation of the case.

“RSF is not satisfied with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s proposal that his country participate in a joint investigation into the circumstances of the journalist’s death,” RSF Secretary General Christophe Deloire said on Twitter. .

“An independent international investigation must be launched as soon as possible,” he added. Deloire recalled that the shooting against Abu Akleh constitutes “a serious violation” of the Geneva conventions and the UN Security Council resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists.

What does Israel say?

In contrast to the complaints made by the channel and the Qatari authorities, the Israeli Embassy in Spain stated that the journalist’s death occurred in the midst of an operation aimed at arresting suspected terrorists in Jenin.

However, they claimed that Shirin Abu Aqla was reportedly injured by Palestinian gunfire.

“Al Jazeera journalist Shirin Abu Aqla was injured and died as a result of her injuries, apparently from fire fired by Palestinians, and not fire from the Israel Defense Forces,” Israel authorities said.

The Embassy also affirmed that some of the videos released show the Palestinian attacks and called for protecting the freedom of the press and the integrity of the journalists they cover on the ground.

“The State of Israel stands for the truth and its government has called on the Palestinians for a joint investigation,” they concluded.