Latest news with #WhoKilled
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New documentary claims to identify Israeli soldier who shot Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022
A new documentary about the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh claims to have identified the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot. Additionally, the film alleges that while the Biden administration had initially concluded an Israeli soldier intentionally shot at Abu Akleh, despite the fact she was identifiable as media, it publicly declared that there was 'no reason to believe' her killing was 'intentional.' The documentary, produced by independent news outlet Zeteo and titled 'Who Killed Shireen?,' follows former Wall Street Journal Middle East reporter Dion Nissenbaum and longtime foreign correspondent Conor Powell as they and fellow journalists seek to figure out who killed Abu Akleh and how the Biden administration handled the investigation into her killing. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist with US citizenship, was a well-known and respected correspondent for Al Jazeera. She was shot while covering an Israeli military operation targeting militants in Jenin in May 2022. When she was killed, she was wearing protective gear identifying her as a member of the press. In the immediate aftermath of her death, Israeli officials suggested crossfire from Palestinian militants fighting with Israeli soldiers nearby could have been to blame. Shortly thereafter, however, investigations by CNN and other outlets found that the only militants in the area could not have reached Abu Akleh from where they stood when she was killed. CNN further concluded that she was killed in a targeted attack, based on eyewitness statements and analysis from audio forensic and explosive weapons experts. The Israel Defense Forces eventually said there was a 'high possibility' Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire, but said they would not charge any soldiers as there 'was no suspicion that a bullet was fired deliberately' at anyone identified as a journalist and the soldier thought he was shooting at militants who were firing upon him. An Israeli military spokesperson later apologized for the journalist's death and said the soldier responsible 'did not do this on purpose.' But one subject interviewed for the documentary, identified only as a 'key Biden administration official,' says that based on where the soldiers and the reporters were located at the time, 'it was an indication that it was an intentional killing' and that the soldier would have been able to clearly see Abu Akleh was a noncombatant. '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 noncombatant at a minimum,' the anonymous Biden administration official states. 'Absolutely knew that it was non-combatant, and every indication was that it was media. It was clear within all optics from that distance and location and the visual capabilities of that day.' The documentary does not detail how the official knows this information, although a source close to the documentary told CNN the official had 'direct knowledge' of the Biden administration's internal assessments of Abu Akleh's death. As for who fired the fatal shots, an unidentified Israeli soldier interviewed in the documentary, who said he served alongside the soldier responsible for the slaying, identified the soldier by name and said he was a member of an elite commando unit called Duvdevan. (Because CNN has not been able to verify the reporting, we are not naming the soldier.) 'When you open the corner and you have this second to take a decision, to take a shot and you see someone who hold a camera or something that, you know, point at you, you don't need more than that to shoot the bullet,' the anonymous soldier says in the documentary. The soldier identified as Abu Akleh's killer 'wasn't happy' to discover he killed a journalist, the fellow soldier says, but 'he wasn't like, you know, eating himself from the inside, like thinking about, 'Oh, what have I done,' or something like that.' Abu Akleh's alleged shooter was later killed by an explosive device buried in the road during a June 2024 military operation in Jenin, the documentary notes. His family has said in interviews with Israeli media that he died while rescuing military medics, who'd been injured by a separate explosion allegedly planted by Palestinian militants. Reached for comment, the IDF said 'Zeteo has decided to publish the name of the IDF soldier who fell during an operational activity, despite the family's request not to publish the name, and even though they were told that there is no definitive determination regarding the identity of the individual responsible for the shooting that caused the journalist's death. The IDF shares in the family's grief and continues to support them.' A State Department investigation into Abu Akleh's death, released in July 2022, found that the IDF was 'likely responsible' for the shooting, but that there was 'no reason to believe' the soldier intentionally targeted her. However, the unidentified Biden administration official alleges in the documentary that despite those findings, the administration's assessment was ultimately publicly presented as the shooting having been 'a tragic accident versus being an intentional killing of the individual.' He alleges the alteration was made because of 'pressure within the administration to not try and anger the government of Israel too much by trying to force their hand at saying that they'd intentionally killed a US citizen.' The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Justice, which was reportedly working on its own investigation, declined to comment. Since Abu Akleh's death, the situation on the ground in the region for reporters has changed dramatically. In May 2024, Al Jazeera was officially banned from Israel and the West Bank, with its offices in Ramallah at one point sealed shut by the IDF. In Gaza, press watchdog groups say at least 175 reporters, photographers, producers and other journalists have been killed since Israel began its military campaign following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. In some cases, Israel has claimed that the journalists killed were working with militant groups. Nevertheless, the war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict on record for members of the media. In the documentary, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has long advocated for more accountability following Abu Akleh's death, said he believes 'if the US had been more effective and more forceful in insisting that the rules of engagement changed after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh,' then further civilian deaths could have been avoided. Abu Akleh's family echoed that sentiment in a statement to CNN: 'Our calls for justice have never been about one individual soldier, but rather for the entire chain of command—those who gave the orders, those who covered it up, and those who continue to deny responsibility — be held to account for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11, 2022 . Only then can there be any hope for real closure, not just for Shireen, but for every journalist and family seeking truth. 'Regardless if the soldier's identity is known or whether he is dead or alive doesn't change the fact that Shireen was intentionally targeted and killed, and that happened within a system that enables impunity.'
CNN
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
New documentary claims to identify Israeli soldier who shot Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022
A new documentary about the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh claims to have identified the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot. Additionally, the film alleges that while the Biden administration had initially concluded an Israeli soldier intentionally shot at Abu Akleh, despite the fact she was identifiable as media, it publicly declared that there was 'no reason to believe' her killing was 'intentional.' The documentary, produced by independent news outlet Zeteo and titled 'Who Killed Shireen?,' follows former Wall Street Journal Middle East reporter Dion Nissenbaum and longtime foreign correspondent Conor Powell as they and fellow journalists seek to figure out who killed Abu Akleh and how the Biden administration handled the investigation into her killing. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist with US citizenship, was a well-known and respected correspondent for Al Jazeera. She was shot while covering an Israeli military operation targeting militants in Jenin in May 2022. When she was killed, she was wearing protective gear identifying her as a member of the press. In the immediate aftermath of her death, Israeli officials suggested crossfire from Palestinian militants fighting with Israeli soldiers nearby could have been to blame. Shortly thereafter, however, investigations by CNN and other outlets found that the only militants in the area could not have reached Abu Akleh from where they stood when she was killed. CNN further concluded that she was killed in a targeted attack, based on eyewitness statements and analysis from audio forensic and explosive weapons experts. The Israel Defense Forces eventually said there was a 'high possibility' Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli fire, but said they would not charge any soldiers as there 'was no suspicion that a bullet was fired deliberately' at anyone identified as a journalist and the soldier thought he was shooting at militants who were firing upon him. An Israeli military spokesperson later apologized for the journalist's death and said the soldier responsible 'did not do this on purpose.' But one subject interviewed for the documentary, identified only as a 'key Biden administration official,' says that based on where the soldiers and the reporters were located at the time, 'it was an indication that it was an intentional killing' and that the soldier would have been able to clearly see Abu Akleh was a noncombatant. '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 noncombatant at a minimum,' the anonymous Biden administration official states. 'Absolutely knew that it was non-combatant, and every indication was that it was media. It was clear within all optics from that distance and location and the visual capabilities of that day.' The documentary does not detail how the official knows this information, although a source close to the documentary told CNN the official had 'direct knowledge' of the Biden administration's internal assessments of Abu Akleh's death. As for who fired the fatal shots, an unidentified Israeli soldier interviewed in the documentary, who said he served alongside the soldier responsible for the slaying, identified the soldier by name and said he was a member of an elite commando unit called Duvdevan. (Because CNN has not been able to verify the reporting, we are not naming the soldier.) 'When you open the corner and you have this second to take a decision, to take a shot and you see someone who hold a camera or something that, you know, point at you, you don't need more than that to shoot the bullet,' the anonymous soldier says in the documentary. The soldier identified as Abu Akleh's killer 'wasn't happy' to discover he killed a journalist, the fellow soldier says, but 'he wasn't like, you know, eating himself from the inside, like thinking about, 'Oh, what have I done,' or something like that.' Abu Akleh's alleged shooter was later killed by an explosive device buried in the road during a June 2024 military operation in Jenin, the documentary notes. His family has said in interviews with Israeli media that he died while rescuing military medics, who'd been injured by a separate explosion allegedly planted by Palestinian militants. Reached for comment, the IDF said 'Zeteo has decided to publish the name of the IDF soldier who fell during an operational activity, despite the family's request not to publish the name, and even though they were told that there is no definitive determination regarding the identity of the individual responsible for the shooting that caused the journalist's death. The IDF shares in the family's grief and continues to support them.' A State Department investigation into Abu Akleh's death, released in July 2022, found that the IDF was 'likely responsible' for the shooting, but that there was 'no reason to believe' the soldier intentionally targeted her. However, the unidentified Biden administration official alleges in the documentary that despite those findings, the administration's assessment was ultimately publicly presented as the shooting having been 'a tragic accident versus being an intentional killing of the individual.' He alleges the alteration was made because of 'pressure within the administration to not try and anger the government of Israel too much by trying to force their hand at saying that they'd intentionally killed a US citizen.' The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Justice, which was reportedly working on its own investigation, declined to comment. Since Abu Akleh's death, the situation on the ground in the region for reporters has changed dramatically. In May 2024, Al Jazeera was officially banned from Israel and the West Bank, with its offices in Ramallah at one point sealed shut by the IDF. In Gaza, press watchdog groups say at least 175 reporters, photographers, producers and other journalists have been killed since Israel began its military campaign following Hamas's October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. In some cases, Israel has claimed that the journalists killed were working with militant groups. Nevertheless, the war in Gaza has become the deadliest conflict on record for members of the media. In the documentary, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who has long advocated for more accountability following Abu Akleh's death, said he believes 'if the US had been more effective and more forceful in insisting that the rules of engagement changed after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh,' then further civilian deaths could have been avoided. Abu Akleh's family echoed that sentiment in a statement to CNN: 'Our calls for justice have never been about one individual soldier, but rather for the entire chain of command—those who gave the orders, those who covered it up, and those who continue to deny responsibility — be held to account for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11, 2022 . Only then can there be any hope for real closure, not just for Shireen, but for every journalist and family seeking truth. 'Regardless if the soldier's identity is known or whether he is dead or alive doesn't change the fact that Shireen was intentionally targeted and killed, and that happened within a system that enables impunity.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Documentary uncovers identity of Israeli soldier who shot Shireen Abu Akleh
Filmmakers behind a new documentary on the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces say they have uncovered the identity of the soldier who pulled the trigger. Who Killed Shireen?, a 40-minute investigative documentary released on Thursday by Washington, DC-based media company Zeteo, identifies the killer as a 20-year-old Israeli soldier who was on his first combat tour in the occupied West Bank and lifts the lid on attempts by the United States to avoid holding ally Israel accountable for the murder. Dion Nissenbaum, the executive producer of the documentary, told Al Jazeera that its makers had set out to uncover exactly who was behind the killing – a secret closely guarded by Israel up to now, according to Zeteo – and that they hoped the findings would lead to further investigations by the US. The administration of former US President Joe Biden had 'concluded early on that an Israeli soldier had intentionally targeted her, but that conclusion was overruled internally', he said. 'We found some concerning evidence that both Israel and the Biden administration had covered up Shireen's killing and allowed the soldier to get away without any accountability,' he added. Anton Abu Akleh, Shireen's brother, said the documentary was 'really important' for her family. 'I'm sure it will shed more light and prove that she was systematically targeted like other journalists in Palestine by the Israeli army,' he said. The documentary features exclusive interviews not just with ex-US officials but also former top Israeli officials and soldiers, as well as journalists who knew Shireen personally. 'We hope that people will be reminded of what an icon Shireen was,' said Nissenbaum. Abu Akleh was wearing a helmet and a clearly marked press vest when she was killed while covering an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022, an act that the Al Jazeera Media Network condemned as a 'cold-blooded assassination'. Investigations into her killing carried out by news agencies, rights groups and the United Nations have all concluded that Abu Akleh was killed – likely deliberately – by Israeli soldiers. Israel initially tried to deflect blame for the incident and suggested that Palestinian fighters killed the journalist, but it eventually walked back that claim and acknowledged its troops were responsible for her death, saying it was 'an accident'. A year later, Israel's military said it was 'deeply sorry' for the death of Abu Akleh, but said it would not launch criminal proceedings against the soldiers believed to be behind the killing. The US dropped its request for an Israeli criminal investigation after Israel's apology. Abu Akleh's death shocked the world and focused an international spotlight on Israeli killings of Palestinian journalists. Reporters Without Borders said on Friday that Israeli forces killed nearly 200 journalists in the first 18 months of Israel's all-out assault on Gaza, at least 42 of whom were slain while doing their job.
Roya News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
New documentary uncovers "Israeli" soldier who killed Shireen Abu Akleh
A new investigative documentary has cast fresh light on the killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, exposing the identity of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) soldier responsible for her death and uncovering what officials describe as a cover-up by the Biden administration. The film, titled Who Killed Shireen?, is the result of months of investigation by independent media outlet Zeteo. At 40 minutes long, the documentary presents previously unreleased findings about the fatal shooting of Abu Akleh in the West Bank city of Jenin in 2022 — an incident that drew international outrage and calls for accountability. In a major breakthrough, Zeteo's team identified by name the IOF soldier believed to have fired the fatal shot. This identity had been tightly protected by "Israeli" authorities, who, according to Zeteo's sources, withheld the information even from high-level US officials. Zeteo's documentary names Alon Skajio as the soldier responsible for the killing of Abu Akleh. The film also makes serious allegations against the Biden administration, featuring testimonies from former American officials who claim the White House prioritized diplomatic relations with "Israel" over seeking justice. One former official stated bluntly that the administration had 'failed' Abu Akleh.
