Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli forces have shot dead Al Jazeera journalist Shirin Abu Agle in the occupied West Bank.
He was hit by a live bullet while reporting on the Israeli attacks in Jenin on Wednesday, and was taken to hospital in critical condition, the ministry and Al Jazeera reporters said. The press was dressed when Abu Agle was killed.
The ministry said he died at the hospital.
Ali Samudi, another Al Jazeera journalist, was also shot in the back. He is now in a stable position and said there were no Palestinian militants when the journalists were shot, directly denying the Israeli statement pointing out the possibilities.
“We were going to film an Israeli military operation and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop shooting,” Samudi said. “The first bullet hit me, the second bullet hit Shreen … there was no Palestinian military protest at the scene.”
Shada Hanaisha, a Palestinian journalist who was nearby when Abu Agle was shot, also told Al Jazeera that no clashes had taken place between Palestinian militants and the Israeli army and that a group of journalists had been targeted.
“We were four journalists, we were all wearing underwear, we were all wearing helmets,” Hanayshah said. “The [Israeli] The occupying army did not stop firing even after she collapsed. I could not even reach out my hand to pull her because of the shots. The army was determined to shoot.
The circumstances of Abu Agle’s death are still being revealed, but videos of the incident show he was shot in the head, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said.
“What we do know now is that the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced his death. Shirin Abu Agle was covering events in Jenin, especially in the Israeli city north of the occupied West Bank, when he was hit in the head with a bullet,” Ibrahim said in the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
At 6:13 a.m., Shireen e-mailed Abu Agle al-Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau, in which he wrote: “Occupying forces have attacked Zen and besieged a house in the vicinity of Jabriyat. On the way there, I will inform you as soon as the picture is clear. ”
Separately in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said an 18-year-old Palestinian man had been shot dead by Israeli forces in the town of al-Bray, near the illegal settlement of Thar Mislet-Yassuri, Psagot.
Shock and grief
Speaking in tears, Ibrahim said Abu Agle was a “highly respected journalist”.
Abu Agle, a joint Palestinian-American citizen, was one of Al Jazeera’s first field correspondents and joined the network in 1997.
The Israeli military says a car bomb had exploded at an Iraqi police recruiting center at Kisak, west of Mosul. It added that it was “investigating the show”.
Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has condemned the assassination of Abu Agle.
“Targeting Shreen is aimed at the truth [Israel] It wants to cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people, “said Fatah spokesman Osama al-Kawasami. “Israel wants to send a message to journalists around the world that those who want to cover up the truth will be shot dead.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has said he will present a “joint pathological inquiry” into the “tragic death” of Tel Aviv Abu Agle. “Journalists must be protected in conflict areas,” he said.
Al Jazeera’s offices in the Gaza Strip, including the Associated Press, were bombed by Israeli forces during an attack a year ago, and Palestinian and international journalists claim to have been regularly targeted by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Many in Palestine and abroad expressed their shock and grief on social media.
The Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shreen Abu Agle this morning in Jenin while reporting on their brutality. Shreen was a very important Palestinian journalist and close friend, ”wrote Hussein Somlad, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shirin Abu Akle this morning in Jenin while reporting on their brutality. Shreen is a very important Palestinian journalist and close friend. Now we hear the “concerns” of the UK government and the international community pic.twitter.com/M6lKTbceHJ
– Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) May 11, 2022
Those who knew her described her as courageous, kind and the voice of the Palestinians.
“Shreen is a brave, kind and highly honest journalist, and I and millions of Palestinians grew up watching him,” wrote Fadi Koran, an activist for the Awas campaign group.
“I was shocked to hear that Al Jazeera journalist Shreen Abu Agle was killed in an Israeli massacre! Shirin has bravely covered up the Israeli occupation of Palestine for more than two decades, ”wrote Huwaida Araf, a Palestinian-American activist and lawyer.
Palestinian activist Salem Parameh wrote, “In despair.” “In the second intifada we grew to the point where she reports. She was our voice. Relax with power and serenity. Another day, another tragedy.
In despair. Israeli separatist forces killed al-Jazeera journalist Shirin Abu Agle this morning. We grew to the point where she reports on the second intifada. She was our voice. Relax with energy and serenity. Another day, another tragedy. https://t.co/FkaNdCTFUU
– Salem Barahmeh (Barahmeh) May 11, 2022
Al Jazeera’s managing director Giles Trend said the network was “shocked and saddened” by the death of Shireen Abu Agle.
“We have a history around the world, but especially in this region, we have had tragedies,” he said, calling for a public inquiry into the murder of Abu Agle.
“It simply came to our notice then. Our mission is to continue. We will not remain silent even if they try to calm us down, ”Trentil said. “Our mission is to let the world know what’s happening. It’s always very important.”
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