Al Jazeera Journalist Killed During IDF Raid

Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was killed during an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) raid of a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank village of Jenin on May 11.

It is currently unclear who shot and killed Abu Akleh. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement that “there is a good chance that armed Palestinians, firing wildly, brought about the tragic death of the journalist.” A Palestinian health official told The Times of Israel (TOI)  that Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli gunfire and Palestinian witnesses also told TOI that they didn’t see any armed Palestinians nearby (TOI reported to have seen footage confirming this) and that Abu Akleh was outside of the area where the raid was taking place. 

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Managing Director of Global Affairs Avi Mayer noted in a tweet that Dr. Rayyan Ali, who heads the Palestinian Forensic Medicine Institute, has reportedly declared: “It cannot be determined whether [Akleh] was killed by Israeli fire or by a Palestinian bullet.”

BREAKING: Palestinian Forensic Medicine Institute Director Dr. Rayyan Al Ali says "it cannot be determined whether [Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh] was killed by Israeli fire or by a Palestinian bullet."

(Channel 12)

— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) May 11, 2022

IDF Chief Aviv Kohavi said in a statement that “the Palestinians carried out widespread gunfire at our forces — wild, indiscriminate fire in all directions. The journalist who was killed was present inside the area of the fighting. At this stage, it is not possible to determine whose gunfire she was hit by and we are sorry for her death.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid offered to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the matter, but Bennett told the Knesset that the PA had rebuffed their request for a joint autopsy, per The Jerusalem Post. PA Minister Hussein Al-Sheikh denied in a tweet that the Israeli government had made overtures to them on a joint investigation and blamed Abu Akleh’s killing on the “occupation government.”

The Post also reported that Likud Member of the Knesset (MK) Gideon Sa’ar said on the floor of the Knesset that the IDF raid was conducted “to arrest suspects in the Jenin terrorist camp and other locations in the region,” as recent terror attacks against Israelis have involved Palestinians entering Israel illegally from Jenin. “The specific incident involved massive firing and explosives,” he added. “Thank God there were no casualties to our forces.”

StandWithUs Israel Executive Director Michael Dickson tweeted, “I’ve seen some influential blue-checks, decrying the tragic death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, blaming Israel before facts are known. I do not recall hearing their voices as each of the 19 innocent Israelis [were] murdered by Palestinian terrorists in the last several weeks.”

I've seen some influential blue-checks, decrying the tragic death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, blaming Israel before facts are known.

I do not recall hearing their voices as each of the 19 innocent Israelis where murdered by Palestinian terrorists in the last several weeks.

— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) May 11, 2022

The AJC similarly tweeted, “We’re saddened by the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in a Jenin firefight. There must be a joint investigation, which has been proposed by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians. Until facts are established, presumptions of responsibility are premature.”

We’re saddened by the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in a Jenin firefight.

There must be a joint investigation, which has been proposed by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians.

Until facts are established, presumptions of responsibility are premature. https://t.co/fLUdlfwv8t

— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) May 11, 2022

The New York Times described Abu Akleh, a Jerusalem-born Palestinian who had been working at Al Jazeera since 1997, as a “trailblazer” who was well known among Palestinians for her reporting. A funeral procession from the PA’s headquarters will be held for her on May 12 and Abu Akleh will be laid to rest the following day.