Arab countries, organizations, unions, and personalities strongly condemned, the assassination of Al-Jazeera correspondent, Shireen Abu Akleh, shot by the Israeli occupation forces in the city of Jenin in the West Bank on Wednesday, May 11.
The Israeli occupation forces assassinated the Palestinian-American journalist Abu Akleh while she was on her way to cover the situation and developments in Jenin camp on Wednesday morning. The forces also wounded Al-Jazeera producer Ali Al-Samudi, in the attack.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he holds the Israeli forces fully responsible for the death of the Al-Jazeera correspondent.
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh and the Council of Ministers also mourned the death of the journalist who spent her life “carrying out her journalistic duty to document the horrific crimes committed by the occupation”. They also called for an international investigation alongside the United Nations.
Arab countries mourned the death of Shireen and paid tribute in the forms of art and protest.
Syria
Syrian journalists and activists painted a mural of Shireen Abu Akleh in Idlib and gathered nearby to pay their respects.
Algeria
The Algerian presidency mourned the martyrdom of Shireen Abu Akleh, shot by the “brutal Zionist occupation.”
The General Directorate of Communication at the Presidency of the Republic took to Twitter and extended condolences to the family of the deceased, fraternal Palestinians, and the Al-Jazeera family, hoping that the Lord bless her soul with his wide mercy.
Jordan
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi strongly condemned the assassination of Abu Aqleh, describing it as a “heinous crime and a flagrant attack on press freedom.”
Safadi called, on his Twitter account, to hold the perpetrators of this crime accountable, saying, “May God have mercy on the deceased, who was distinguished over the years, a professional journalist and a voice of truth who covered the suffering of the brotherly Palestinian people. My deepest condolences to her family and Al Jazeera.”
Qatar
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Lulwa Al-Khater took to Twitter and said, “The Israeli occupation killed Al-Jazeera journalist Sherine Abu Aqleh by shooting her in the face while she was wearing a press jacket and helmet, while she was covering their attack in the Jenin refugee camp.”
“The state-sponsored Israeli terrorism must stop, and the unconditional support for Israel must stop,” Al-Khater added.
Libya
The Prime Minister of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba, offered his condolences to the family of Abu Aqleh and the Palestinian people through his Facebook account, following her martyrdom while she performed her journalistic duty”.
The Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Manqoush, stated in a tweet that the killing of Abu Akleh, in full view and hearing of the whole world, is to silence the voice of truth, the voice of the victims, and the voice of the brave Arab woman who has always believed in the role of a free press.
Kuwait
In a statement, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli occupation forces’ assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Aqleh.
The ministry explained that “the heinous crime, for which the occupation authorities bear full responsibilities, is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, a blatant infringement on freedom of expression, and a new and irrefutable evidence of the ugliness of the occupation’s attacks against the Palestinian people.”
Oman
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi considered the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akhleh an unacceptable and reprehensible act. It said that we express our sympathy and condolences to her family.
Yemen
The Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the murder of the Palestinian journalist while she was performing her journalistic work in Jenin camp.
The ministry stressed in a statement that the commission of this crime is a flagrant violation of international law and international norms, calling for the perpetrators to be held accountable and brought to trial.
Egyptian Journalists Syndicate
In a statement, the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate called on the international community and the organizations concerned to “hold the occupying state accountable for its recent crime against the martyr, Shireen Abu Akleh.”
He condemned the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Akleh while carrying out her duties, calling for an extensive international investigation “on the crime and all the repeated crimes of the occupying forces against Palestinian journalists.”
Iraqi Journalists Syndicate
In a statement, the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate described the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh as a “heinous crime” committed by the Israeli occupation army.
The statement said, “The heinous crime, which provoked astonishment, denunciation, and condemnation of the world, is a flagrant violation of media responsibility and freedom of press work, which are emphasized by international laws and covenants.”
Linah Alsaafin
Linah Alsaafin, a producer at Al Jazeera English, wrote: “My god. What news to wake up to. Veteren (sic) Al Jazeera Arabic reporter @ShireenNasri has been killed by Israeli forces while covering a raid into Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. We grew up watching Shireen on TV. Total shock.”
Arwa Ibrahim
Similarly, Arwa Ibrahim, another colleague of Abu Akleh at Al Jazeera, tweeted how she listened to Abu Akleh’s reports growing up and said she was devastated by the news.
“I grew up listening to Shireen Abu Akleh’s brave voice on Palestine & was privileged to work alongside her while reporting from Jerusalem & the occupied West Bank. Shireen was shot dead by Israeli police while doing her job — reporting. This news tears into all of us,” Ibrahim tweeted.
Salman Andary, a senior news reporter at Sky News Arabia, mourned Abu Akleh’s death in a tweet. “Targeting and assassinating colleague Shireen Abu Akleh in this way only indicates fear of the journalist’s voice and message and that no protective vest can deter the cowardly killers.”
“Shireen, the bride of Palestine and a colleague who we all grew up with her voice, messages, and reports. It’s a black, sad, and terrifying day. #Shireen_Abu_Akleh,” he added.
Rushdi Abualouf
BBC journalist, Rushdi Abualouf, wrote: “Shocking news, our colleague Al #Jazeera’s long-time senior correspondent in #Palestinian territories Shireen Abu (Akleh) was shot with a bullet in the head during an Israeli operation in Jenin refugee camp. RIP.”
Karman
Yemeni activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman called for an international investigation into the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Akleh, shot by the Israeli occupation forces.
“The Israeli occupation killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, another major crime that joins the series of crimes against humanity committed by the occupation forces,” Karman said on her Twitter account.
She added, “I condemn in the strongest terms this heinous crime, and my condolences to the journalist’s family, the Palestinian people, and our Arab nation, for the martyrdom of Shireen Abu Akleh.”
Other organizations and unions
The Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press in a statement also said that targeting the press in Palestine “falls within the framework of the full-fledged war crimes committed by the Zionist occupation authorities against the Palestinian people, journalists, and the media.”
Meanwhile, the Bahrain Journalists Association, in a statement, condemned the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh, and the injury of journalist Ali Al-Samudi by Israeli occupation army fire.
The association said that “correspondents and journalists must be protected by all laws and customs, and the sanctity of their mission that they perform with dedication and sincerity must be respected, and they must be provided with safe working conditions, to perform their professional duty, and to support their right to freedom of expression.
An official procession for the body of Shireen Abu Akleh was launched from Istishari Hospital in Ramallah on Thursday, May 12, to honor and bid farewell to the martyred before completing the burial procedures today, Friday, May 13, in occupied Jerusalem.
The late martyr was wrapped in the Palestinian flag, then the coffin was transferred to a military vehicle in an official procession toward the headquarters of the Palestinian presidency.
About Shireen Abu Akleh
51-year-old Shireen Abu Akleh is a well-known Palestinian journalist with American citizenship. She comes from a family from Bethlehem and resides in occupied East Jerusalem. She joined Al Jazeera in 1997, a year after the launch of the channel, which is based in the Qatari capital, Doha.
Before joining Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh worked for Palestine Radio and Amman Satellite Channel, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media from Yarmouk University in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
After graduating, she returned to the Palestinian Territories and worked on several sites such as UNRWA, Voice of Palestine Radio, Amman Satellite Channel, Miftah Foundation, and Monte Carlo Radio, and later moved to work with the Al Jazeera satellite channel.
