Al Jazeera Reporter Shot Dead During Israeli Raid in West Bank

[Debater Slayer]

A Palestinian American journalist for Al Jazeera has been killed during an Israeli raid in the West Bank:

JENIN, West Bank, May 11 (Reuters) - A prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter was shot dead during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, and Israel said it was launching an investigation to try to determine who killed her.

Veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was wearing a press vest that clearly marked her as "Press" while reporting in the city of Jenin, the Qatar-based outlet said.

She was covering the latest arrest operation launched by the Israeli military amid deadly Arab attacks in Israel.

There currently seems to be no clear answer as to who fired the bullet that killed her:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described Abu Akleh's death as blatant, cold-blooded murder by the Israeli military, which said dozens of Palestinian gunmen had confronted troops who arrested a Hamas militant in Jenin.

A Palestinian medical examiner, however, did not echo the accusation, declining to comment on who might have fired the round, after an autopsy was conducted in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Abbas was making unfounded allegations, before Israel conducted a "thorough investigation" of the events.

Al Jazeera journalist killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

This is a tragic loss to journalism and freedom of the press. May she rest in peace and her killers, whoever they happen to be, end up standing trial and facing justice for their crime.

 

[Debater Slayer]

Abu Akleh's producer and another reporter have said that she was not killed by militants:

Samoudi, who was working as her producer, told The Associated Press they were among a group of seven reporters who went to cover the raid early Wednesday. He said they were all wearing protective gear that clearly marked them as reporters, and they passed by Israeli troops so the soldiers would see them and know that they were there.

He said the first shot missed them, then a second struck him, and a third killed Abu Akleh. He said there were no militants or other civilians in the area — [sic] only the reporters and the army. He said the military's suggestion that they were shot by militants was a "complete lie."

Shaza Hanaysheh, a journalist with a Palestinian news website who was also among the reporters, gave a similar account in an interview with Al Jazeera's Arabic channel, saying there were no clashes or shooting in the immediate area. She said that when the shots rang out she and Abu Akleh ran toward a tree to take shelter.

"I reached the tree before Shireen. She fell on the ground," Hanaysheh said. "The soldiers did not stop shooting even after she fell. Every time I extended my hand toward Shireen, the soldiers fired at us."

Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh killed covering Israel Defense Forces raid in West Bank

 

[Lyndon]

this is unforgivable, Israel needs to be hold account for this crime, but of course they will get away with it and do more worse stuff

 

[Aštra’el]

What makes reporters think their lives are so valuable? As if wearing a Press Vest in a warzone is going to garner special understanding and respect from elite trained soldiers who are there to focus on the mission, with you just getting in the way.

 

[John53]

Both sides will blame the other and nothing will be done.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Both sides will blame the other and nothing will be done.

And the tribalist bloodshed will continue.

 

[John53]

And the tribalist bloodshed will continue.

Yep. I have a solution for them. Stop hating each other.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yep. I have a solution for them. Stop hating each other.

I hate people who hate.

 

[John53]

I hate people who hate.

Fire some missiles at them

 

[sun rise]

What makes reporters think their lives are so valuable? As if wearing a Press Vest in a warzone is going to garner special understanding and respect from elite trained soldiers who are there to focus on the mission, with you just getting in the way.

I see freedom of the press means nothing to you. Well, it does to me. And innocent people who are murdered by people in uniform, cops or soldiers is also meaningful to me.

 

[stevecanuck]

Yep. I have a solution for them. Stop hating each other.

The Arab Muslims hate the Jews because they're Jews. The Jews hate the Arab Muslims for hating the Jews just because they're Jews.

 

[Stevicus]

A Palestinian American journalist for Al Jazeera has been killed during an Israeli raid in the West Bank:



There currently seems to be no clear answer as to who fired the bullet that killed her:



Al Jazeera journalist killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

This is a tragic loss to journalism and freedom of the press. May she rest in peace and her killers, whoever they happen to be, end up standing trial and facing justice for their crime.

If they don't know who fired the bullet or what actually happened, how can they be sure it wasn't an accident?

 

[Twilight Hue]

A Palestinian American journalist for Al Jazeera has been killed during an Israeli raid in the West Bank:



There currently seems to be no clear answer as to who fired the bullet that killed her:



Al Jazeera journalist killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

This is a tragic loss to journalism and freedom of the press. May she rest in peace and her killers, whoever they happen to be, end up standing trial and facing justice for their crime.

I think danger comes with the territory. It's certainly a risk that sometimes leads to things like this when covering hazardous assignments.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I hate people who hate.

QED

 

[F1fan]

What makes reporters think their lives are so valuable?

Aren't you a right to life advocate? This is an odd question.

Maybe abortion laws can appeal to republicans if we say these unborn babies are journalists.

 

[F1fan]

I think danger comes with the territory. It's certainly a risk that sometimes leads to things like this when covering hazardous assignments.

Danger is one thing, being targeted is another. Witnesses state they saw Israeli soldiers shoot her as she had on a blue flak jacket with PRESS on the front. They continued to shoot her after she was wounded. This sounds like a huge violation of international law, and there is an investigation happening.

 

[Aštra’el]

I see freedom of the press means nothing to you. Well, it does to me. And innocent people who are murdered by people in uniform, cops or soldiers is also meaningful to me.

I do not expect soldiers in a warzone to put the lives of the press over the lives of their men, or allow them to interfere with the mission in any way.

What does this have to do with “freedom of the press”? What makes these people so deserving of special privileges, that soldiers around them must make absolute certain to keep the reporters’ safety in mind at all times? I honestly couldn’t care less what happens to reporters in a warzone.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Danger is one thing, being targeted is another. Witnesses state they saw Israeli soldiers shoot her as she had on a blue flak jacket with PRESS on the front. They continued to shoot her after she was wounded. This sounds like a huge violation of international law, and there is an investigation happening.

She's definitely not the first reporter to be shot either by the Israeli army.

 

[Aštra’el]

Aren't you a right to life advocate? This is an odd question.

Maybe abortion laws can appeal to republicans if we say these unborn babies are journalists.

You perceive it as an odd question because you ascribe to me these reductive labels without fully understanding what it is you are talking about.

 

[F1fan]

You perceive it as an odd question because you ascribe to me these reductive labels without fully understanding what it is you are talking about.

You offer no help in clarifying your stance on whether you are pro-life or not. It is your position on this that is why I think your question was odd. As I recall, didn't you argue against abortion?