Killed Al Jazeera Journalist is Icon of Palestinian Coverage –

An Al Jazeera correspondent killed on Wednesday During the Israeli raid on the West Bank He was a highly respected journalist in the Middle East, whose unwavering coverage was known to millions of viewers.

News by Shirin Abu Akleh The deaths have spread across the region. The 51-year-old reporter has been synonymous with Al Jazeera coverage in his lifetime for more than two decades while covering Palestinian territories, including the second intifada or uprising that killed thousands on both sides. side. They are Palestinians.

On Wednesday, Abu Aklah’s name was leaked in Arabic on Twitter, drawing attention on social media in support of Palestinians. His image was displayed in the main square of the city of Ramallah in the West Bank as mourners stormed Al Jazeera’s offices and his family’s home in East Jerusalem.

Al Jazeera and witnesses, including its producer, who was shot in the back on Wednesday, said he was killed by an Israeli gun. Israel said it was not clear who was responsible and called it “premature and irresponsible to accuse at this stage”. Later Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz promised a clear investigation and said they had contacted U.S. and Palestinian officials.

Abu Akle’s coverage of the harsh reality of Israel’s military occupation is inevitably related to his experience as a Palestinian journalist on the front line. His death underscores the heavy number of ongoing fighting with the Palestinians. Despite their role as journalists.

Although he was also a U.S. citizen who frequently visited America during the summer, he lived and worked in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where those who knew him said he was more comfortable. A Palestinian Christian whose family came from Bethlehem, he was born and raised in Jerusalem. He left his brother and his parents.

In an Al Jazeera video released last year, Abu Akle recalled the extent of the destruction and the “feeling that death was sometimes imminent” during coverage of the second intifada, 2000-2005. “Despite the risks, we decided to finish the job,” he said.

“I chose journalism to be close to people,” he added. “It may not be easy to change the truth, but I was still able to give their voice to the world.”

Its longtime producer, Wesam Hamad, said Abu Akleh has an incredible ability to keep cool under pressure.

“Shirin has worked all these years to commit to the values ​​and ethics of our profession,” he said of Abu Akle, whom the network called “Al Jazeera’s face in Palestine.”

He and Abu Akle often met at the crossfire of Israel in the many stories they shared together, he said. On one of their assignments, tear gas filled their vehicle and they had difficulty breathing. When they remembered these moments, he said Abu Akle would smile and be surprised how they were able to save him.

Pictures of the Abu Aklah hunt in the background, outside the Jenin refugee camp, spread on the Internet and spread on Al Jazeera and other Arab news channels. Wearing a helmet and vest clearly marked “PRESS”, Abu Akleh was shown his body on a piece of sand lying prostrate. A Palestinian man jumped to reach a wall when he heard gunshots and his motionless body was dragged into a car.

In a video from a hospital on the west coast where Abu Akklekh was pronounced dead, a male colleague was seen crying next to his hospital bed while others choked from crying. Al Jazeera’s female correspondent in the Gaza Strip cried in the air when she reported to a reporter for surveillance.

Later Wednesday, the body of Abu Aklehi, wearing a Palestinian flag and covered with a crown, was brought to the city center of Ramallah on a red stretcher. Hundreds of people sang: “With our souls, with our blood, we will set you free, Shirin.”

Condemnation has come from governments around the world. The U.S. State Department called his death an “insult to media freedom”.

In a statement published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, commentator Gideon Levy praised his courage, saying “Abu Akklekh died as a hero, he was doing his job” and mentioned that he went to Jenin and other occupied areas, which are rarely visited by Israelis. journalists. . “

It started as another routine for Abu Akle. He emailed colleagues leaving Jenin Refugee Camp to review reports of Israeli military attacks. “The news will be delivered to you once the picture is clear,” he wrote.

Producer Hamad said: “Generations have grown up listening to her work. People listened to Shirin’s voice and influenced her to study journalism to be like her.”

Abu Akleh’s granddaughter Lina Abu Akleh described her as a “best friend” and “stepmother”.

“He’s someone I’ve followed since I was a kid and I looked at all his reports,” he told reporters from the family home. “I never thought the day would come when there would be news about him.”

Follow Aya Batrawy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ayaelb