Latest news with #ShireenAbuAkleh
Jordan Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Documentary identifies Israeli soldier behind killing journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
A newly released documentary has named the Israeli soldier believed to have shot and killed veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in 2022, renewing calls for accountability and justice (Courtesy of Committee to Protect Journalists) AMMAN — A newly released documentary has named the Israeli soldier believed to have shot and killed veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, during an Israeli military raid in Jenin in 2022, renewing calls for accountability and justice. The film Who Killed Shireen?, produced by the US-based media company Zeteo, identified 20-year-old Israeli soldier Alon Scagio as the individual who fired the fatal shot that killed the prominent Al Jazeera reporter on 11 May 2022. At the time, Abu Akleh was clearly marked as press, wearing a helmet and a blue vest emblazoned with the word 'PRESS'. The documentary, backed by months of investigative work led by journalist Dion Nissenbaum, claims that Scagio, who was later transferred to another unit, was killed in 2024 during another Israeli operation in Jenin. Despite initial denials and efforts to blame Palestinian gunmen, Israeli and US officials reportedly knew hours after the killing that an Israeli soldier had likely shot the 51-year-old journalist, the documentary said. The findings revealed that the Israeli military quickly determined the soldier had misidentified Abu Akleh as a militant, despite her visible press gear and distance of over 200 metres from the soldier. Yet, no criminal charges were filed, and Israel refused to share the soldier's identity or statement with US investigators. An initial American assessment reportedly concluded the shooting may have been intentional, but the Biden administration later reversed its position, blaming 'tragic circumstances'. 'This is not just about one soldier , it is about a system that allows such killings to happen without consequences,' said Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen's niece. 'Justice requires accountability from everyone involved, from the shooter to those who covered it up.' The documentary also highlights the wider issue of journalist safety in conflict zones. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), more than 175 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on 7 October 2023. The year 2024 saw the highest number of journalist deaths globally since CPJ began documenting them three decades ago, with Israel responsible for nearly two-thirds of those deaths. Ali Samoudi, Shireen's producer who was wounded during the same incident, is also featured in the film. He recently received a six-month administrative detention order following a raid on his home in late April 2025. His family said he was beaten and handcuffed to a hospital bed. Israeli authorities have accused him, without presenting evidence, of links to Islamic Jihad. 'The bullet that killed Shireen was meant to silence Palestinian media,' said Samoudi in the documentary. 'We are being punished for documenting the occupation's crimes.'
Malay Mail
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘They knew she was press': Documentary claims to name killer of slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
NEW YORK, May 11 — A new documentary purports to name the Israeli soldier who killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was gunned down in the West Bank while reporting in 2022. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab–Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked 'press.' Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants. In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire. Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a 'high probability' that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians. Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary Who killed Shireen? names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier. 'Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier's identity, they wouldn't provide the US with any information. They wouldn't let the US interview him. They wouldn't give the US his statement. And they wouldn't give his name,' said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film. Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim — who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank — Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials. 'Intentional killing' claim The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior. 'He shot her intentionally. There's no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?' Nissenbaum told AFP. 'Personally, I don't think it was an order. I don't think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word 'press' on it.' 'The evidence (suggests)... it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum,' said a senior official from the administration of then US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously. Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonising its ally. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing — but went unanswered. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said 'it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist' according to its records dating back to 1992. Impunity in the case 'has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more' journalists, the CPJ said. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorised disclosure of the suspect's name despite no 'definitive determination' of who shot Abu Akleh. The soldier in question 'fell during an operational activity,' the army added. Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh. — AFP
eNCA
11-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Film claims to name killer of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
NEW YORK - A new documentary purports to name the Israeli soldier who killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was gunned down in the West Bank while reporting in 2022. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked "press." Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants. In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire. Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a "high probability" that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians. Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary "Who killed Shireen?" names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier. "Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier's identity, they wouldn't provide the US with any information. They wouldn't let the US interview him. They wouldn't give the US his statement. And they wouldn't give his name," said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film. Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim -- who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank -- Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials. The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior. "He shot her intentionally. There's no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?" Nissenbaum told AFP. "Personally, I don't think it was an order. I don't think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word 'press' on it." HANDOUT/AFP/File | - "The evidence (suggests)... it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum," said a senior official from the administration of then-US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously. Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonising its ally. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing -- but went unanswered. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said "it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist" according to its records dating back to 1992. Impunity in the case "has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more" journalists, the CPJ said. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorized disclosure of the suspect's name despite no "definitive determination" of who shot Abu Akleh. The soldier in question "fell during an operational activity," the army added. Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Film claims to name killer of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
A new documentary purports to name the Israeli soldier who killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was gunned down in the West Bank while reporting in 2022. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked "press." Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants. In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire. Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a "high probability" that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians. Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary "Who killed Shireen?" names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier. "Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier's identity, they wouldn't provide the US with any information. They wouldn't let the US interview him. They wouldn't give the US his statement. And they wouldn't give his name," said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film. Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim -- who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank -- Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials. - 'Intentional killing' claim - The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior. "He shot her intentionally. There's no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?" Nissenbaum told AFP. "Personally, I don't think it was an order. I don't think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word 'press' on it." "The evidence (suggests)... it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum," said a senior official from the administration of then US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously. Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonizing its ally. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing -- but went unanswered. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said "it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist" according to its records dating back to 1992. Impunity in the case "has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more" journalists, the CPJ said. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorized disclosure of the suspect's name despite no "definitive determination" of who shot Abu Akleh. The soldier in question "fell during an operational activity," the army added. Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh. gl/gw/jgc
Arab News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Film claims to name killer of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
NEW YORK: A new documentary purports to name the Israeli soldier who killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was gunned down in the West Bank while reporting in 2022. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked 'press.' Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants. In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire. Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a 'high probability' that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians. Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary 'Who killed Shireen?' names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier. 'Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier's identity, they wouldn't provide the US with any information. They wouldn't let the US interview him. They wouldn't give the US his statement. And they wouldn't give his name,' said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film. Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim — who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank — Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials. The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior. 'He shot her intentionally. There's no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?' Nissenbaum told AFP. 'Personally, I don't think it was an order. I don't think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word 'press' on it.' 'The evidence (suggests)... it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum,' said a senior official from the administration of then US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously. Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonizing its ally. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing — but went unanswered. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said 'it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist' according to its records dating back to 1992. Impunity in the case 'has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more' journalists, the CPJ said. Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza. An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorized disclosure of the suspect's name despite no 'definitive determination' of who shot Abu Akleh. The soldier in question 'fell during an operational activity,' the army added. Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh.
