On Wednesday, May 11, senior Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51) was killed by the Israeli security forces when she was covering a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank. She was shot in the face despite wearing a press vest which identified her as a journalist. Another Palestinian journalist and Akleh’s colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also wounded in the shooting. He was shot in the back and was admitted to a hospital where he was reported to be out of danger.
In response to the grave human rights violations and violation to the freedom of press, a group of progressive media outlets from across the world released the following statement (Spanish below).
We, a group of progressive news publications from around the world, condemn the brutal assassination of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Shireen, a skilled and sensitive journalist at Al Jazeera, was covering a violent raid on the Jenin refugee camp by Israeli forces when she, and other journalists, were shot at by Israeli snipers despite being clearly identified as a journalist. Shireen, who was wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof vest, was killed by a shot to the face. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also shot and injured but is recovering.
Statements released by Israeli officials and mainstream media attempting to shift responsibility for her death away from Israeli forces are irresponsible. Further, her death is not an anomaly nor accidental. Over the last several years, Palestinian journalists have been repeatedly targeted by the Israeli state, suffering judicial harassment and violence at the hands of Israeli forces. We also remember Yaser Murtaja, a Palestinian videographer and photo journalist, who was killed when covering the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip on April 7, 2018.
We stand with the people of Palestine who continue to resist the violent Israeli apartheid regime and the brave journalists who put their lives on the line to tell their stories.
Palestine Chronicle
Ajans Près Popilè Ayisyèn (Haiti)
Agencia Latinoamericana de Información – ALAI
Al-Mayadeen (Lebanon)
ARG Medios (Argentina)
Barricada TV (Argentina)
Brasil de Fato (Brazil)
Breakthrough News (United States)
Capire
Cartago TV (Argentina)
Colombia Informa (Colombia)
Dialogos do Sul (Brazil)
El Ciudadano (Chile)
The Insight Newspaper (Ghana)
Jornalistas Livres (Brazil)
Kawsachun News (Bolivia)
Liberation News (United States)
Madaar
Multipolarista
Nativa (Bolivia)
NewsClick (India)
New Frame (South Africa)
Pan African Television (Ghana)
Peoples Dispatch
Pressenza International Press Agency
Radyo Rezistans (Haiti)
Reporteros de Investigación (Honduras)
Resumen Latinoamericano (Argentina)
Shadowproof (United States)
TeleSUR TV
(Español) Israel debe poner fin a sus ataques asesinos contra periodistas y personas palestinas
Nosotros y nosotras, un grupo de medios de comunicación progresistas de todo el mundo, condenamos el brutal asesinato de nuestra colega Shireen Abu Akleh a manos de las Fuerzas de Ocupación israelíes.
Shireen, una reconocida y sensible periodista de Al Jazeera, estaba cubriendo una violenta redada de las fuerzas israelíes en el campamento de refugiados de Jenin, cuando ella y otros periodistas, fueron baleados por francotiradores israelíes a pesar de estar claramente identificados como periodistas. Shireen, que llevaba casco y chaleco antibalas, murió de un disparo en la cara. Su colega Ali al-Samoudi también recibió un disparo y resultó herido, pero se encuentra en recuperación.
De manera irresponsable, funcionarios israelíes y medios de comunicación hegemónicos han intentado exculpar a las fuerzas israelíes por la muerte de Shireen. Sin embargo, su muerte no es una excepción ni un accidente. A lo largo de los últimos años, los y las periodistas palestinos han sido reiteradamente objetivos del Estado israelí, sufriendo acoso judicial y violencia a manos de las fuerzas del país. Recordamos también a Yaser Murtaja, videógrafo y fotoperiodista palestino, asesinado cuando cubría la Gran Marcha del Retorno en la Franja de Gaza el 7 de abril de 2018.
Nos solidarizamos con el pueblo Palestino que sigue resistiendo al violento régimen de apartheid israelí y con los y las valientes periodistas que se juegan la vida para contar sus historias.
