Palestinian-US Journalist Shot Dead While Covering Israeli Raid
HAVANA TIMES – Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian-US journalist working for Al Jazeera, as she covered an Israeli army raid on the Jenin refugee camp early this morning. That’s according to Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Health Ministry. Video released by Al Jazeera shows the moments after Abu Akleh was shot in the head.
A spokesperson for the Israeli army told a military radio station Abu Akleh was likely killed by Palestinian fire, though he offered no evidence. Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem bureau chief said Abu Akleh was targeted by “direct shot” from an Israeli sniper. A second Palestinian journalist, Ali al-Samudi, was hospitalized in stable condition after he was shot in the back. Speaking from a hospital in Jenin, al-Samudi said he was among four journalists pinned down by Israeli snipers.
Ali al-Samudi: “The occupation is murderous and criminal. They shot us for no reason. We, a group of journalists, were there wearing our full press uniforms, in addition to the helmets with the word ‘press’ written on them in large letters, as big as the whole world. We were obvious.”
In a statement, Al Jazeera said it holds the Israeli government and its troops responsible for the killing, condemning it as a “heinous crime, which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty.” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides called for an investigation, tweeting that he was “Very sad to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.”
There is much mention in Havana Times of press freedoms.
Not only did the Israelis blow this world famous journalist’s brains out…….
Today the disgraceful apartheid regime of Israel sent its stormtroopers to attack her funeral procession.
They even attacked the pall bearers as they tried to carry her dead body to the cemetery for a Christian burial.
Under baton assault the pall bearers nearly dropped her coffin.
Total Disgrace.