Shireen
Abu Akleh

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Shireen Abu Akleh[a] (Arabic: شيرين أبو عاقلة; January 3, 1971 – May 11, 2022) was a Palestinian-American journalist who worked as a reporter for the Arabic-language channel Al Jazeera for 25 years, and was one of the most prominent names across the Middle East for her decades of reporting in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

On May 11, 2022, while wearing a blue vest with "PRESS" written on it, she was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Al Jazeera, an AFP photojournalist and the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the IDF killed her, while initial Israeli reports suggested a Palestinian might have killed her, later press releases stated that the killers identity was as yet unknown. Abu Akleh was a leading journalist in the Arab world. Her career included reporting on major Palestinian events as well as analyzing Israeli politics; her television reporting and distinct sign-offs were well-known, and she inspired many other Palestinians and Arabs to pursue careers in journalism.
Contents

1 Early life and education
2 Career
3 Death
3.1 Aftermath
3.2 Funeral
3.3 Responses
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

Early life and education

Abu Akleh was born in Jerusalem on January 3, 1971, to a Palestinian Arab Christian family from Bethlehem.[1][3] She spent time in the United States, obtaining U.S. citizenship through members of her mothers family who lived in New Jersey.[1]

Abu Akleh attended secondary school in Beit Hanina, then matriculated at the Jordan University of Science and Technology to study architecture,[3] but decided not to pursue the trade;[1] she instead transferred to Yarmouk University in Jordan, from which she graduated with a bachelors degree in print journalism. After graduating, Abu Akleh returned to Palestine.[3]
Career

Abu Akleh worked as a journalist for Radio Monte Carlo and Voice of Palestine.[4] She additionally worked for the UNRWA, Amman Satellite Channel, and MIFTAH.[3] In 1997, she began working as a journalist for Al Jazeera,[5] as one of their first field correspondents,[6] becoming well known as a reporter on their Arabic-language channel.[5][7] She lived and worked in East Jerusalem, reporting on major events related to Palestine including the Second Intifada,[8] and additionally covering Israeli politics.[5] She often reported on funerals for Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.[9]

Abu Aklehs career inspired many other Palestinians and Arabs to become journalists; her live television reporting and distinct signoffs were particularly well-known.[1] After her death, The New York Times and NPR both described her as "a household name" among Palestinians.[1][10] The Times of Israel characterized her as "a veteran journalist [...] among Arab media’s most prominent figures".[11] The BBC described her as being widely known and admired by both viewers and colleagues.[6]

Abu Akleh continued in her role with Al Jazeera until she was killed in 2022.[12] At the time of her death, she had been studying Hebrew in order to better understand narratives in the Israeli media, and had recently gained a diploma in digital media.[13]
Death

Of course I get scared. In a specific moment you forget that fear. We dont throw ourselves to death. 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.

Abu Akleh, asked in 2017 by An-Najah NBC if she was afraid of being shot while reporting[1]
A map by Btselem showing where it says the Israel Defense Forces were exchanging gunfire with militants (B) versus where Akleh was killed (A).[14][15][16][17]

On May 11, 2022, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced the death of Abu Akleh. She had been reporting on an IDF raid on a house when,[18] according to witnesses and Al-Jazeera, she was shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting the victim.[19][12] Abu Akleh was present at a raid which the Israeli military stated was targeted at capturing "terror suspects".[5] Al Jazeera said that Abu Akleh was shot in the head by the IDF,[12][20] and transported to Ibn Sina Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.[20] She was 51 years old.[13][21] Another journalist, Ali Samodi[20] of Al-Quds newspaper, was shot in the back but survived; two other Palestinians were transported to a hospital in moderate condition.[5] The Times of London reported that Abu Akleh was shot by a sniper. Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist, said that she and a fourth journalist, along with Abu Akleh and Ali Samodi, had been pinned down by Israeli snipers, who did not cease firing even after Abu Akleh went down, preventing Hanaysha from pulling the victim in.[22]

According to the Israeli military, Palestinian militants had fired on IDF soldiers, after which the soldiers returned fire.[5] The IDF released a video showing Palestinian gunmen firing in the Jenin camp, purportedly in the area where Abu Akleh was killed.[23] In the video a militant was heard saying "They [Palestinian militants]ve hit one, theyve hit a soldier, hes laying on the ground." As no Israeli soldiers were injured during the operation, Israeli authorities said it was likely the Palestinians had shot Akleh by mistake, thinking she was a soldier.[2] A Haaretz report found the possibility unlikely as several buildings blocked a direct line of sight between that militant and the reporter.[24]

Multiple eyewitnesses, including two journalists standing next to Abu Akleh, reported that the area had been relatively quiet immediately prior to her death and no Palestinians, civilian or otherwise, were present, disputing Israeli statements of her having died in a crossfire.[25] Al Jazeera reported that according to their Ramallah bureau chief, Walid Al-Omari, there was no shooting by Palestinian gunmen;[12] Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative also stated that there was "no exchange of fire" at the scene.[26] Al-Omari also stated that Abu Akleh had been wearing a helmet and was shot in an unprotected area under her ear, suggesting that this demonstrated she was "deliberately targeted".[3] Video of the shooting showed Abu Akleh wearing a blue flak jacket that was clearly marked "PRESS".[5] An Agence France-Presse photojournalist reported that Israeli forces had shot and killed Abu Akleh.

An autopsy at An-Najah National University was unable to determine who shot Abu Akleh; the pathologist found no evidence that she had been shot at close range. The autopsy confirmed that Abu Akleh was killed by a bullet which struck her in the head, causing skull fractures and damage to the brain.[28] The bullet was recovered and sent for further examination.Minister of Defence Benny Gantz said the IDF had requested the Palestinians to let the Israelis examine the bullet Israel also suggested a joint probe into the death, which was rejected by the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that it wanted an independent investigation.
The IDF later announced that it had begun investigating the possibility that one of its soldiers had shot and killed Abu Akleh, beginning inquiries in to three shooting incidents that involved its soldiers, with one of them occurring within 150 metres (500 ft) of where Abu Akleh was located. An IDF official said that this was "the more probable to be involved in the death" of the three being investigated.
Aftermath

Al Jazeera reported that Abu Aklehs home was raided by Israeli forces after she was killed, who confiscated Palestinian flags and prevented "the playing of nationalistic songs".

Al Jazeera additionally reported that thousands of people had gathered in Ramallah in honor of Abu Akleh, where her body was transported to the networks offices for colleagues, friends, and family to "bid her the final farewell". Alternative Syndicate of the Press journalists gathered to honor Abu Akleh in downtown Beirut. In her hometown of Beit Hanina, at least 5 Palestinians were injured in confrontations with armed Israeli soldiers, while at least three were detained; a crowd in front of her home protested her killing.[26]
Mourners carry Abu Akleh’s body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and a blue press jacket

The Palestinian Authority scheduled a state funeral[1] procession to be held on May 12, 2022, in Ramallah, beginning at the Palestinian presidential headquarters. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, planned to attend.[33] Abu Aklehs body was transported from Jenin through Nablus and Ramallah to her funeral in Jerusalem.
Funeral

Quelle Wikipedia