Journalist from Al-Jashira dies in Gaza, Israel
The Foreign Press Association in Israel (FPA) has expressed outrage at the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and her colleagues in a targeted attack on a journalist tent in the northern Gaza Strip city of Gaza [1]. The German Journalists' Association (DJV) and Reporters Without Borders have also condemned the attack, with DJV federal chairman Mika Beuster stating that hunting media professionals based on unverified accusations is not acceptable [2].
Israel's military has justified the killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Al-Sheik and five other employees by stating that he was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell responsible for rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops [3]. However, this justification is heavily disputed. Al Jazeera has asserted that al-Sheik and his colleagues were journalists, not militants [1].
Journalists' rights organizations, like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and independent observers highlight that international law limits legitimate military targets to active combatants [3]. Having any association with a group does not per se justify targeting a journalist. Moreover, the IDF did not provide any justification for the killing of the other Al Jazeera journalists who were with al-Sheik in the tent [3].
The FPA stated that this leaves reporting in the hands of local journalists who risk their lives, as Israel has repeatedly blocked the work of Al Jazeera journalists and has even closed their office in the West Bank [4]. Israel accuses reporting from the Gaza Strip of bias and manipulation by Hamas [5].
Avichai Adraee, Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson, has previously insulted Al-Sheik on social media, calling him a "mouthpiece for intellectual terrorism" [6]. Shireen Abu Akleh was one of the most well-known reporters for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip [7].
The killing of Abu Akleh, who had been covering the events on the ground since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, has sparked large crowds at her funeral procession in the Sheikh Radwan cemetery in Gaza City [8]. The CPJ has previously called for the international community to protect Al-Sheik, who was apparently already on Israel's radar [9].
In summary, while Israel's military claims to have provided evidence justifying the strike on al-Sheik as a militant target, these claims have not been independently verified and are disputed by journalistic and human rights organizations, which regard the killings as unlawful attacks on press freedom [1][2][3].
Sources:
- The Guardian
- Deutsche Welle
- Committee to Protect Journalists
- Al Jazeera
- The Times of Israel
- Middle East Eye
- Al Jazeera
- Reuters
- Committee to Protect Journalists
