Jerusalem: 1000 days have passed since an Israeli bullet covered with impunity killed one of the most influential, prominent, and hard-working women in the field of journalism and media in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, despite the hard efforts made in demanding justice for Abu Akleh, 1000 days have passed, yet no justice was served, neither for the late leading female journalist, nor for any of the Palestinians, whose lives were mercilessly taken by Israel.
Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, a Palestinian-American journalist from Jerusalem working with Al Jazeera, was born on April 3, 1971, in East Jerusalem and obtained American citizenship after living in the United States. She earned a degree in print journalism from Yarmouk University in Jordan. After graduation, she returned to Palestine and worked as a journalist for media outlets like Radio Monte Carlo and Voice of Palestine before joining Al Jazeera in 1997. She became one of the very first field journalists in the country. Her reports and known sign-offs grew popular among Palestinians, making her a well-known reporter for Al Jazeera network, especially during the Second Intifada, where she covered most events taking place in that era, particularly the 2002 Jenin battle and the several Israeli wars on the Gaza Strip.
Despite stating that she felt she was being targeted by Israeli forces and colonists, Abu Akleh continued her work as a journalist in Palestine until her killing in 2022. On May 11, while covering an Israeli army assault in the northern occupied West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, Abu Akleh, despite wearing a helmet and a clearly marked press vest, was murdered by a bullet to the head fired by an Israeli sniper. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dead.
Abu Akleh’s murder caused a shock among Palestinians everywhere in the world as she was considered a veteran, iconic journalist who worked for over 25 years, covering events taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories, mainly the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It was clear to the Palestinians right from the beginning that Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli gunfire. Al Jazeera producer, Ali Samoudi, was also wounded by a bullet in the back at the same location, which shows a direct, deliberate targeting of journalists. However, Israel was quick to release accusations claiming that Abu Akleh ‘could have been killed by a bullet fired by Palestinian gunmen.’
A number of Israeli officials claimed that Israeli soldiers were clashing with Palestinian gunmen at the moment Abu Akleh was shot, which could suggest that she may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire; a claim that would later be strongly refuted by Palestinian and US investigations. Israeli authorities later called on the Palestinian government to conduct a joint investigation and analysis of what happened, something that the Palestinians firmly rejected since the beginning.
Palestine’s then Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh stressed that those who falsify the history of ‘our people and steal their land are capable of adopting a fake narrative,’ stressing that Israel could not be trusted. Later, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry announced it formally asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Abu Akleh’s killing to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes in Palestine, precisely the targeted murder of journalists. The Palestinian Public Prosecutor began its own investigation as well.
A number of major US media publications launched their investigations and reports as well, collecting evidence, videos, live streams, and citing interviews with eyewitnesses, only to find out what the Palestinians have been saying since the day Abu Akleh was murdered: that she was deliberately targeted and shot dead by an Israeli sniper. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said in July 2022 that the report of the American experts on the killing of Abu Akleh by the Israeli occupation forces is biased and unprofessional.
It explained that the US report legitimizes the killing of Palestinian journalists and justifies Israel’s crimes against journalists, considering it very dangerous because it cancels international protection for Palestinian journalists working in the Palestinian territories. In addition to that, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said that an independent international investigation should be opened into the killing of Abu Akleh, expressing concern that failing to bring her justice perpetuates impunity.
The US State Department’s announcement that independent investigators were unable to reach a final conclusion after a careful forensic analysis of the projectile that killed Abu Akleh is expected, said Euro-Med. According to the State Department’s statement, ‘ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet that killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’.
In December 2022, Al Jazeera Media Network said that it submitted the case of Abu Akleh’s killing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. A few weeks later, the International Criminal Court referred the file of the complaint in Israel’s killing of Akleh to its information collection for further review.
1000 days have passed, and Israel still failed to hold any of its soldiers accountable for the killing of Abu Akleh. A year later, Israel’s army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, expressed the army’s “deep regret” over Abu Akleh’s killing, emphasizing that there were no plans to pursue criminal charges against the soldiers thought to be responsible for the killing.
Following Israel’s apology, the United States withdrew its demand for an Israeli criminal investigation. 1000 days have passed and family and friends of Shireen are still waiting for justice to be served as Palestine as a nation still believes that Abu Akleh was one of the most impactful, well-known, and dedicated women correspondents in Palestine, and an inspiring household name who gave them a voice that was heard all over the world.