Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was fatally shot while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin on ...
She was 51, according to the university. "Shireen fell while she was wearing press (gear) and even with that the people who tried to save her were shot at, the targeting was clear against Shireen and against us as journalistic teams." Al-Samudi said later Wednesday that there were no Palestinian gunmen in the area at the time. "The possibility that journalists were hit, possibly by Palestinian gunfire, is being investigated. The prime minister's office released a video showing people running in the Jenin refugee camp, shouting about a soldier being hit. Akleh's producer, Ali Al-Samudi, was also shot and is in a stable condition, the ministry said.
Tributes paid to Al Jazeera journalist and authority on Israeli-Palestinian conflict who has been shot in West Bank.
The US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, said he was “very sad” to learn of Abu Akleh’s death. 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.”
We lost yet another revered Palestinian icon to the Israeli occupation.
All who knew her would speak fondly of her amazing spirit, her open heart, and her exemplary courage and professionalism in the line of duty. She was one of the first, who inspired a whole new generation of journalists to tell the story of Palestine, and over the years she always remained one of the most dedicated to the job. I was shy and felt embarrassed, but I still remember how she greeted me, speaking gently to a seven-year-old who wanted to grow up to be a brave journalist like her and my father. One day, I had insisted on joining my father, who was also a journalist, in visiting al-Muqata’a, the headquarters of the late Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat. She had a grandstanding in the local journalistic community. I felt safe in her presence. She spoke from Palestine, and was heard by the entire world. She was a hero to me. For me, she was much, much more than a professional role model. It was a notification from a Telegram channel called “Martyrs of Palestine”. I wasn’t shocked. She was loved and respected by all. Shireen Abu Akleh was an icon in Palestine and the Arab world.
Abu Akleh, a Palestinian American, had been covering a military raid on the Jenin refugee camp "when she was shot in the face by a single bullet, ...
Against that backdrop, the Israeli government is trying to be sensitive to the anger of its citizens, even as the leadership struggles politically to survive. It acknowledges that its soldiers opened fire, but it said that only happened after "tens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers." This past weekend, a Palestinian axe attack killed three Israelis. And on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said Israeli troops had killed another Palestinian. (Editor's note: NPR is a member of the organization.) It said the TV correspondent had been "assassinated in cold blood" after she was targeted by the Israeli forces. The posting seemed to imply the gunman's bullets might have struck the journalists. Hours after her death, mourners came to pay their respects as Abu Akleh's body was moved from a hospital to be prepared for burial. The video does not show whether the person firing hit anyone, or where the bullets may have landed. Al Jazeera producer Ali Samoudi was also shot while covering the raid. "We stood together in a collective way as journalists, then we started moving. The Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian territories says it is "appalled and deeply shocked" by the killing of Abu Akleh. It also said the investigation into her death should be immediate and transparent. Israel's military said it "is investigating the event and looking into the possibility that journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen."
The moment an Al Jazeera journalist was shot dead was caught on film, but Israeli authorities are sharing another video they say adds doubt as to who killed ...
The exact location where Ms Abu Akleh was shot is at the bottom of this long road, some distance from where the researcher emerged. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done. The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. Ms Hanaysha is next to her, also dressed in protective clothing and holding a camera. Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett disputed those accusations, saying the shot could have been fired by a Palestinian and that "there must be a real investigation" into the death. Four seconds after the initial gunfire, more shots are fired. Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was shot in Jenin in the West Bank on Wednesday morning while working for Al Jazeera's Arabic language channel. I consider what happened an assassination." A comparison of the two videos shows the location appears to match. The original source for the footage of the man firing down an alley appears to be a video shared by Palestinian militants. 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. Two videos are being shared online by those trying to explain how a journalist was fatally shot in the head on the outskirts of a Palestinian refugee camp.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and died soon afterwards.
Ran Kochav, an Israeli commander, told army radio that the two journalists were “armed with cameras” and standing near Palestinian gunmen. The Israeli military said its forces came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin, and that they fired back. Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-known Palestinian female reporter for the broadcaster's Arabic language channel, was shot and died soon afterward. The Qatar-based network interrupted its broadcast to announce her death. Israeli officials said there was video footage of Palestinian gunmen boasting that they had killed a soldier, but that no Israelis were wounded in the incident, indicating they shot a journalist. A journalist for Al Jazeera was shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin on Wednesday. The broadcaster and a reporter who was wounded in the incident blamed Israeli forces, while Israel said there was evidence the two were hit by Palestinian gunfire.
The network and Palestinian officials said journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire. Israel said Palestinian gunmen may have been ...
Abu Akleh was among the most high-profile Palestinian journalists and a veteran of covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the over two decades since, her voice, face and reportage became a mainstay for Palestinian audiences. Ahmad Al Husari, a 47-year-old produce vendor, said Israeli soldiers broke through the door to his house about 5 a.m. His hallway was pocked with bullet holes and covered in glass. “A sniper from somewhere shot Shireen in the head. “The house was at the top of the camp; we were far below,” he said, referring to the Jenin refugee camp. By Wednesday afternoon, fresh flowers and olive branches already covered the drying pool of blood where she fell. “We don’t put ourselves in the line of fire. A Jenin field researcher from B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, shared a map with reporters marking the location of Abu Akleh’s killing and the location of events depicted in the video distributed by Israeli officials. They were near Israeli military vehicles, he said, and they moved slowly to make sure the soldiers could identify them as reporters. During the operation, he said, “armed Palestinians shot in an inaccurate, indiscriminate and uncontrolled manner.” “To uncover the truth, there must be a real investigation, and the Palestinians are currently preventing that. He had been working with Abu Akleh on Wednesday as a producer, he said.
Shireen Abu Akleh covered occupied Palestine for two decades. She was killed doing her job.
“This underlying daily reality of apartheid and the cold violence of structural repression leads to the hot violence of bloodshed and the killing of Palestinians.” Israel tends to stretch out the investigations as long as possible and in the end fails to hold military leaders to account, according to El-Ad. “Israel treats every incident as an extraordinarily exceptional occurrence, and the investigations always push the responsibility down to the lowest level of soldiers,” he told me. The Israeli foreign ministry shared a video of Palestinian gunmen active in the city Wednesday to back up these claims. Israel has even designated the premier Palestinian rights organization Al-Haq as a terrorist organization, in what experts called retribution for Al-Haq’s documentation of violations on the ground. “Without a serious investigation, we will not reach the truth.” That likely has something to do with the Israeli government not having a good track record of investigating its own crimes. Ali Samoudi, her producer, who was also shot and is currently in the hospital, said Israeli forces shot her. Israeli military spokesperson Ran Kochav said, “They’re armed with cameras, if you’ll permit me to say so,” and in so doing drew a not-subtle comparison between the work of journalism and that of violence. “It fits a pattern, a pattern of unlawful killing, and also a pattern of targeting journalists and human rights defenders.” Israel attributed Abu Akleh’s death to Palestinian gunmen, saying she was caught in the crossfire of clashes. According to the Associated Press, she was brought to the hospital, where she died. For over two decades, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh covered human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory.
A prominent Palestinian-American journalist was killed in the West Bank and her network blames Israeli forces. Israel says it's possible Palestinian gunmen ...
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Senior officials from across the United Nations are calling for an investigation into the killing on Wednesday of well-known Al Jazeera correspondent ...
I call on the relevant authorities to investigate this crime and bring those responsible to justice.” Secretary-General António Guterres was appalled by the killing and echoed the call for the relevant authorities to conduct an independent and transparent investigation, according to a statement issued by his Spokesperson. Impunity must end.” Media workers should never be targeted,” said Mr. Wennesland. “We urge an independent, transparent investigation into her killing. Ms. Azouley recalled that UNESCO works to raise awareness about the need to protect journalists, notably through the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
Israeli forces shot Abu Akleh in the head while she was on assignment in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
“In disbelief,” wrote Salem Barahmeh, a Palestinian activist. Shireen was most prominent Palestinian journalist and a close friend. Shireen was a message throughout all her journalistic life, and even in her martyrdom, she is a message,” Rinawi told Al Jazeera. “Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering their brutality in Jenin this morning. Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering their brutality in Jenin this morning. The Israeli military said its soldiers had come under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin, and that they fired back. “The killing was deliberate… “What we know for now is that the Palestinian health ministry has announced her death. On the way there – I will bring you news as soon as the picture becomes clear.” It is a crime, it is all clear – intentional and direct targeting. He said that her body was transferred for an autopsy based on an order from the public prosecution. She said the group of journalists had been directly targeted.
Abu Akleh was shot in the face, on purpose, while doing what she has been doing since 1997 for Al Jazeera: telling the truth. She was murdered for telling, yet ...
She got in the way. It goes like this: We will never know who shot Abu Akleh in the face. She knew the risks. She was shot in the face. Maybe an armed Israeli soldier, not an “armed” Palestinian – are there any other kind? Damn. That meant powerful people and institutions who normally do not give a damn when Palestinians are murdered had to say something since Abu Akleh was an American. She was admired and respected because she told the truth about the cruelty Palestinians suffer and endure every day. An Al Jazeera producer, who survived, was shot in the back. Late Wednesday, an Israeli general said, well, maybe Abu Akleh was not the victim of Palestinian on Palestinian violence. Abu Akleh’s body lay on the side of a road, next to a wall. In the face. She did it with grace, patience and resilience despite the indignities, horrors and dangers.
The Palestinian Authority said it would not give Israeli officials the bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank during an Israeli raid ...
We go and we try to find where we can stand and how to protect the team with me before I think about how I am going to go up on the screen and what I am going to say.” She soon became a household name among Palestinians and Arabs across the Middle East, inspiring many to follow in her path. 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, friends and colleagues said. It was not the biggest or political stories that most interested Ms. Abu Akleh, but the smaller ones that showed how people lived, said Wessam Hammad, a news producer with Al Jazeera, who worked with her for 17 years. She always put herself in danger just to convey the stories of Palestinians.” Such a concern also kept Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank and inside Israel from attending the funeral, she said. She was a symbol, and she lived inside all of our homes.” The bullet that killed Ms. Abu Akleh has become the focus of two competing narratives about the circumstances of her death. “When we saw that Shireen had been assassinated, we all felt it, in every Palestinian home,” said Thuraya Elayan, a 66-year-old Ramallah resident. She and several other journalists at the scene were wearing blue flak jackets and helmets marked with the word “Press.” Mr. al-Sheikh also accused Israeli soldiers of killing Ms. Abu Akleh, dismissing Israeli claims that the journalist may have been hit by Palestinian fire. He also awarded her the Star of Jerusalem, or Al-Quds Star, an honor typically bestowed on ministers, ambassadors and members of Parliament.
Media outlets ignored Israel's role in Abu Akleh's death, according to social media users and commentators.
She “was [not] killed” by aliens, she was killed by Israeli forces. .@APreporting that the iconic Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh “was killed by gunfire” is unethical journalism. If a journalist was targeted and killed by Russian military forces in Ukraine, the US media would report it as an assassination and stir outrage. “If a journalist was targeted and killed by Russian military forces in Ukraine, the US media would report it as an assassination and stir outrage,” he tweeted. “Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered by Israeli soldiers. Kevin Gosztola criticised Western media outlets for the difference in their approaches to the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine, and said that Abu Akleh was “owed coverage that doesn’t whitewash her death”. “Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper while reporting on an Israeli military raid of a refugee camp,” she tweeted. Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper while reporting on an Israeli military raid of a refugee camp. Correction: An earlier tweet misstated Al Jazeera’s comments about the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. The network said she was killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin; it did not say she was killed during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen. “She ‘was [not] killed’ by aliens, she was killed by Israeli forces. The New York Times also released a correction for “misstating” Al Jazeera’s statement on Abu Akleh’s killing, after initially reporting incorrectly that Al Jazeera had said Abu Akleh was killed in “clashes”. The killing of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank has created an uproar as commentators and social media users criticise Western media outlets for “whitewashed” reporting that appeared to shy away from mentioning that Israeli forces had killed the seasoned reporter.
Thousands of mourners gathered in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday to mourn slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, as the Palestinian ...
"We rejected, and continue to reject, the joint investigation with the Israeli occupation authorities because they committed the crime and we do not trust them," said Abbas, standing before Abu Akleh's coffin. Journalists, diplomats, religious leaders, and officials including Arab members of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, attended the memorial procession at the Palestinian Authority President's residence, which saw Abu Akleh's Palestinian-flag-draped coffin carried in as honor guards played musical instruments. Al Jazeera has accused Israeli security forces of deliberately targeting and killing Abu Akleh, 51 -- one of the Arab world's most prominent journalists.
In a TV interview hours after the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed during clashes between the IDF and Palestinian gunmen ...
“That’s our responsibility to the people of Israel,” he said. The only campaign I’m engaged in is to protect the state of Israel. In 99 percent of the operations against terror in urban areas, including in Jenin where we are fired on in all directions, we don’t hit innocents. The general in charge of the Central Command area that includes Jenin, Yehuda Fuchs, told Channel 12 Wednesday night that “hundreds, even thousands of bullets” were fired by the sides in the gun battle, and “I don’t know which bullet” hit Abu Akleh. “I am sorry for every innocent person who is hurt in the course of IDF operations. He presented himself as the officer who was responsible for the operation — in that “I am the Central Command general. Who also, not incidentally, need to understand what’s being done in their name and for their defense. The journalist Shireen, who was really very close to the line where the forces were — ours and the Palestinian terrorists — was hurt there.” And very little was said by Israeli officials about the specific context for the army operation — the reason the IDF was there in the first place. We’ve had the predictable narratives. Getting to the bottom of what happened — be it exculpatory or problematic — won’t alleviate Palestinian hostility, reverse closed-minded conclusions, or sweep aside mis- and disinformation. And I’m sorry about the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.” A Jerusalem-born Christian, she also held American citizenship, making the question of responsibility for her death a matter of direct significance for Israel’s most important ally. A point quite important to make, one would think, when trying to explain to a non-expert watching world the death of a journalist caught up in a gunfight.
Eyewitnesses say Israeli soldiers 'assassinated' Al Jazeera journalist but PM claims Palestinians may be responsible.
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After PM suggested Shireen Abu Akleh was "likely" killed by Palestinian gunmen, defense chief concedes the fatal shot could have come from "our side."
Ramallah, Palestinian Territories — Palestinians planned a memorial service Thursday for journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank, but have rejected U.S.-led calls for a joint investigation into her death. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price echoed the sentiments of American Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides on Wednesday, condemning Abu Akleh's killing and calling for an "immediate and thorough" investigation into the shooting. All of the indicators , the evidence and the witnesses confirm her assassination by #Israeli special units." She will not be forgotten." A total of 31 Palestinians and three Israeli Arabs have died during the same period, according to an AFP tally, among them perpetrators of attacks and those killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank operations. Israel has publicly called for a joint investigation into the killing and asked Palestinian authorities to hand over the bullet that struck Abu Akleh for forensic examination.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a 51-year-old Palestinian-American correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was shot dead while covering a raid by Israeli military and security ...
Abu Akleh was killed on a reporting assignment during an Israeli raid which the military said was conducted to find Palestinian “terrorist suspects.” Israeli forces have stepped up the number of raids in the area in recent weeks, following a wave of attacks targeting Jewish Israelis that have left 19 people dead. Thousands of Palestinians attended a state service for Abu Akleh in the Palestinian city Ramallah held a day after her killing. It is reportedly exploring the possibility that its soldiers were, in fact, to blame for the fatal shot. Ongoing clashes at the Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, which is considered holy by both Muslims and Jews, have left dozens of Palestinians injured. Palestinian officials have conducted a post-mortem but have not yet released the results. These included the second intifadeh—a five year Palestinian uprising against Israel which began in 2000—the battle of Jenin in 2002 and the death of Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian National Authority, in 2004. Tensions are particularly high right now in other areas of Israel and Palestinian territories. Having joined the network in 1997, only a year after its launch, she covered many of the region’s historic flashpoints. Israeli forces have been accused of harassing Palestinian journalists covering the conflict in the region. Abu Akleh’s death came just days after the publication of the 2022 World Press Freedoms Index which found that journalism is restricted and under threat in well over two thirds of the world. Her producer Ali al-Samoudi, who was shot in the back, is reportedly undergoing treatment. But other journalists at the scene disputed this version of events.
Israel initially suggested Shireen Abu Akleh might have been shot by Palestinian militants, before backtracking. Its proposal for a joint investigation has ...
Ms Abu Akleh's colleague was also wounded in the shooting. Israel initially suggested Shireen Abu Akleh might have been shot by Palestinian militants, before backtracking. Its proposal for a joint investigation has been rejected by Palestinian authorities, while the UN chief has urged for an "independent and transparent investigation".
A prominent Palestinian-American journalist was killed in the West Bank and her network blames Israeli forces. Israel says it's possible Palestinian gunmen ...
She was shot in the head. An Israeli human rights group has even challenged an official Israeli account of the firefight that went on there between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli soldiers. ESTRIN: Well, she was killed while covering an Israeli arrest raid in the occupied West Bank in the Jenin refugee camp. And the U.S. is calling for a swift probe. She was 51 years old, but she became a journalist when she was in her 20s. He was shot in the back. A Palestinian autopsy says that a recovered bullet was found. ESTRIN: And she was also really well-known by her colleagues, journalists here. He grew up watching her on television report from very violent scenes in the West Bank. Let's listen. She joined Al Jazeera, the Arabic network, in the late 1990s, and she became very well-known in the second intifada, in the Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s. Shireen Abu Akleh was shot as she went to report on Israeli troops conducting a raid. ESTRIN: She says, "I chose journalism to be close to people.
English News and Press Release on occupied Palestinian territory about Protection and Human Rights; published on 11 May 2022 by UN SG.
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Many US lawmakers condemned the killing of Abu Akleh and called for an investigation, but few mentioned Israel by name.
The Israeli military killing of Shireen Abu Akleh is devastating and infuriating. “The Israeli military must conduct a thorough and objective investigation into Abu Akleh’s death, and be transparent about its findings,” Schiff said in a statement. I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. Some of them call New York's 9th District home. The House Foreign Affairs Committee shared Pelosi’s post on the killing via its Twitter account. I strongly condemn her death and call for an independent and thorough investigation into the incident.” “We need to investigate, ourselves, the killing of an American citizen. His office did not return Al Jazeera’s request for comment by time of publication. I join countless others in mourning the death of@AlJazeerajournalist, #ShireenAbuAkleh, who was killed by Israeli military while on assignment. Ro Khanna, a House progressive representing a district in California, wrote in a social media post, “The killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is devastating and a blatant assault on the freedom of the press.” “A thorough, objective investigation is needed now. Anyone who believes in press freedom and justice should call for a thorough and independent investigation into the killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. https://t.co/eUqO133GwO The progressive lawmaker, who is of Palestinian descent, called for a moment of silence for the slain journalist on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday and condemned the killing in several statements and media appearances.
Beirut, May 12, 2022 – Israeli and Palestinian authorities should ensure that the investigation into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen ...
CPJ emailed the Palestinian Ministry of Information for comment, but did not receive any response. An initial autopsy conducted by the Institute of Pathology at Annajah University in the West Bank city of Nablus concluded that Abu Akleh was not killed at close range, but did not immediately determine who fired the shot that killed her, according to The Wall Street Journal. Forensic reports, findings, and evidence must be shared with international investigators and the public.”
A veteran reporter was killed in the course of her work while clearly identified as 'Press,' How? Who by? Many of us think we can figure out the answers, ...
The only campaign I’m engaged in is to protect the state of Israel. In 99 percent of the operations against terror in urban areas, including in Jenin where we are fired on in all directions, we don’t hit innocents. “That’s our responsibility to the people of Israel,” he said. The general in charge of the Central Command area that includes Jenin, Yehuda Fuchs, told Channel 12 Wednesday night that “hundreds, even thousands of bullets” were fired by the sides in the gun battle, and “I don’t know which bullet” hit Abu Akleh. “I am sorry for every innocent person who is hurt in the course of IDF operations. He presented himself as the officer who was responsible for the operation — in that “I am the Central Command general. Who also, not incidentally, need to understand what’s being done in their name and for their defence. The journalist Shireen, who was really very close to the line where the forces were — ours and the Palestinian terrorists — was hurt there.” A point quite important to make, one would think, when trying to explain to a non-expert watching world the death of a journalist caught up in a gunfight. And I’m sorry about the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.” Very little was said by Israeli officials about the specific context for the army operation — the reason the IDF was there in the first place. Getting to the bottom of what happened — be it exculpatory or problematic — won’t alleviate Palestinian hostility, reverse closed-minded conclusions, or sweep aside mis- and disinformation. A Jerusalem-born Christian, she also held American citizenship, making the question of responsibility for her death a matter of direct significance for Israel’s most important ally. A veteran reporter was killed in the course of her work while clearly identified as ‘Press,’ How? Who by?
NPR's May Louise Kelly talks with journalist Dalia Hatuqa about her friend and colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed while reporting in occupied West ...
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When word got out on Wednesday that esteemed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the West Bank city of Jenin, where Israeli ...
On Wednesday evening, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz was on a conference call with reporters, saying he was “very sorry for what happened,” that Israel wants to conduct a full-scale investigation and that he had asked the Palestinians to share the bullet that was found embedded in Abu Akleh’s head, promising to share all forensic findings with the Americans and the Palestinian Authority. And in East Jerusalem Israeli police stormed Abu Akleh’s home, demanding that her family and friends remove the Palestinian flag from the building. Abu Akleh was killed just days after the International Federation of Journalists, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS) and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) filed a formal complaint at The Hague for “systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists.” An estimated 50 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 2000, according to the PJS. Israeli forces have a “track record of employing lethal force and systematically targeting Palestinian journalists with complete lack of accountability,” said the ICJP. Four years ago, Haaretz journalist Amira Hass uncovered court files that revealed that in 2012 Israeli soldiers beat Palestinian journalists with batons and arrested them, on their commanders’ orders, with the declared intention of disrupting their coverage of a Palestinian demonstration. But it wasn’t until it was revealed that he was a U.S. citizen that he was allowed to return to Florida and Israel opened an investigation, at the demand of Washington. An Israeli judge sentenced the police officer to community service; the State Department expressed disappointment. In the streets outside Palestinians demonstrated carrying Palestinian flags, one attaching a flag to an Israeli police car and getting detained for it. There were no fighters in the area.” Two hours later a local researcher for the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem filmed a video geolocating the clip of the Palestinian gunmen in the Jenin refugee camp, hundreds of yards and several turns away from the spot where Abu Akleh was killed. President Biden is considering a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories in June. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called Abu Akleh a “reporting legend.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called her killing a “horrific tragedy.” Congress members Betty McCollum and Mark Pocan condemned it and Rashida Tlaib accused Israel of murder. Within a half hour of Abu Akleh’s killing, the Israeli state PR machine went to work on a deflection strategy. When Israeli missiles brought down an 11-story media building last year in Gaza, where Palestinian media networks and the Associated Press were located, Israel justified it by saying it was being used by Hamas. “The army quickly convened a committee to investigate the deaths on the beach and almost as swiftly absolved itself of responsibility.” To Israel, her death risks damage to essential relationships in the Arab world, while Abu Akleh’s U.S. citizenship brings relations with Washington into the equation, raising both the stakes and the level of scrutiny. Abu Akleh was a 51-year-old Catholic Palestinian who switched to journalism after studying to be an architect and became one of the Arab world’s most famous TV journalists.