Al-Jashira Amends Employee Death Toll in Gaza Conflict
In the aftermath of an Israeli military strike in Gaza that claimed the lives of several Al Jazeera employees, questions have arisen regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of renowned correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh.
The Israeli military initially suggested that Abu Akleh was caught in crossfire and possibly killed by a Palestinian gunman. However, independent investigations and the United Nations later confirmed that she was likely shot by an Israeli soldier during an IDF raid in Jenin, not in the Gaza Strip.
Contrary to some reports, there is no evidence that Israeli officials identified Abu Akleh as a Hamas terrorist in the context of her death. The confusion may have arisen from another journalist's situation, as there have been reports of Israeli officials accusing other journalists of being associated with Hamas, but these are not related to Abu Akleh's case.
The Israeli military has not provided an explanation for Abu Akleh's killing. The "Times of Israel" reported that there is still no explanation from the army as to why it targeted Abu Akleh while she was with five other journalists.
The Israeli military has made controversial statements about Abu Akleh, claiming that she was responsible for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF forces and an "active member" of the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas. These claims have been disputed by investigations and Al Jazeera, which states that Abu Akleh was a respected and unbiased journalist.
In a related development, Al Jazeera has corrected its statement on the fatalities, stating that four of its journalists were killed, not five as initially reported. Moamen Aliwa, who was previously named as a freelance cameraman, was actually a full-time employee of Al Jazeera.
The Israeli military strike hit a tent used by journalists near the main gate of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The military stated that it had "struck a terrorist in Gaza City who was disguised as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network."
Several non-governmental organizations, the UN, and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell have condemned the killing of the journalists. The US State Department has referred reporters to Israeli authorities regarding the targeting of Abu Akleh.
[1] ntv.de and raf/AFP [2] The Guardian, The New York Times, and Al Jazeera
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