صراط عشق صراط عشق
International Community on Wednesday called for a thorough investigation into the death of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.
Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead while covering an Israeli raid in the city of Jenin. Another journalist, Ali Al-Samoudi, was shot in the back, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Journalists were directly targeted by the occupation forces
Al-Samoudi said he was accompanied by Abu Akleh and a group of journalists in the vicinity of UNRWA schools near Jenin camp, adding that all were wearing helmets and vests for journalists.
“We were directly targeted by the occupation forces,” he said in statements cited by the state news agency Wafa. He said Al Jazeera journalist lost her life after she was shot in the head.
The place where the journalists were present was clear to the occupation soldiers, and there were no armed men or clashes in that area,” Al-Samoudi said. “We were deliberately targeted.”
Videos on social media platforms showed people transferring Abu Akleh in a car, while she was wearing a journalist vest.
Al-Jazeera TV network, for its part, said Abu Akleh was “one of the first generation of the channel’s field correspondents.”
UN Special Envoy for Middle East strongly condemns the killing of Al Jazeera’s reporter
“I strongly condemn the killing of Al Jazeera’s reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot with live fire this morning while covering an Israeli security forces’ operation in Jenin, in occupied West Bank,” UN Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Process Tor Wnnesland said on Twitter.
“I call for an immediate and thorough investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable. Media workers should never be targeted,” he added.
US Ambassador to Israel called for investigating reporter’s death
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides also called for investigating the reporter’s death.
“Very sad to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh of Al Jazeera,” Nides tweeted. “I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin.” A similar call for investigation was echoed by the US Palestinian Affairs Unit.
EU delegation to the Palestinians calls for independent investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice
The EU delegation to the Palestinians said it was “shocked by the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was reporting on ISF incursions in Jenin.”
“We express our deepest condolences to her family and call for a swift and independent investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the delegation tweeted.
Qatar decries killing of Al Jazeera journalist in West Bank
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned the killing of a veteran Al Jazeera journalist by Israeli army forces in the occupied West Bank.
“Israeli occupation killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by shooting her in the face while wearing the press vest and a helmet,” Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah Alkhater tweeted.
Alkhater pointed out that the journalist Akleh was covering an Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp when she was killed. “This state sponsored Israeli terrorism must stop, unconditional support to Israel must end,” she added.
Palestinian political groups strongly condemned the crime
Palestinian political groups strongly condemned the crime and called on the world, especially the media and international institutions, to expose the brutal crimes of Israel against the Palestinians and journalists.
Abu Akleh was born in Jerusalem, in 1971, and holds a BA in journalism and media from Yarmouk University in Jordan.
