On the one-year anniversary of the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, her colleagues, family and U.S. lawmakers gathered at an event in Washington to commemorate the reporter and renew calls for someone to be held accountable.
One of the most well-known reporters in the Arab world, Al Jazeera's Abu Akleh was shot in the head while covering an Israel Defense Forces raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on May 11, 2022. At the time, she and her colleagues were in protective gear, with helmets and vests marked "PRESS."
At her funeral in Jerusalem, Israeli police attacked pallbearers, causing them to drop the coffin and fueling international outrage. Israel said police were trying to disperse a mob.
"It's been a devastating year for our family," said Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen Abu Akleh's niece, in a video message at the National Press Club. "We still haven't seen justice served. Accountability for us means action, and we still have yet to see that."
Investigations by media outlets and rights groups found that Shireen Abu Akleh was almost certainly shot by an Israeli sniper — during a moment of relative calm, not in a crossfire, as Israel claimed.
In an interview on Thursday with CNN, the IDF's chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, apologized for Shireen Abu Akleh's death. It is the first time the IDF has apologized for her killing.
"I think it's an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry of the death of Shireen Abu Akleh," he said.
"She was a journalist, a very established journalist. In Israel, we value our democracy and in a democracy, we see high value in journalism and in a free press. We want journalists to feel safe in Israel, especially in war time, even if they criticize us," he said.
Al Jazeera Washington Bureau Chief Abderrahim Foukara spoke at the event in Washington.
"366 days ago, Shireen Abu Akleh was still alive. 365 days ago, Shireen was killed. 365 days have elapsed, and there's still no justice," Foukara said. "We, obviously, are all here to honor the memory of Shireen Abu Akleh, to reiterate the need for accountability for the killing and shooting of Abu Akleh and any other journalists around the globe."
Born in Jerusalem to a Catholic family, Abu Akleh moved to the U.S. in the early 1990s, and later returned to the Middle East after gaining her American citizenship.
Her journalism came to prominence in 2000 during the second Palestinian uprising against Israel, known as the intifada.
"Shireen was a household name among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world because her reporting on what's been happening here was original, and it touched the human soul," her brother, Anton Abu Akleh, told VOA from Jerusalem shortly after her death last year.
"Above all, she was deeply dedicated to her profession. She was loyal to her homeland and to the Palestinian cause. She perfectly used journalism as a platform to help other people and highlight their plights," he said.
Accountability
Last September, an Israeli military inquiry admitted it was "highly likely" that Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier, but also said the shooting was an accident and that a criminal investigation was not necessary.
The Biden administration has generally accepted Israel's report, and last July, the State Department determined from a U.S. investigation that the killing was "tragic" but unintentional.
But after pressure from Congress, the FBI opened an investigation last November — an investigation that Israel has said it will refuse to cooperate with.
Still, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen says more must be done.
"While I was pleased to hear that the FBI is investigating her death, we don't know where that investigation stands. Over the last year, we have fought to ensure accountability in Shireen's shooting death, and we won't stop until the full truth is known and justice is done," the senator said in a video message at the event. "One year after her death, the United States must continue to press for accountability."
"Many people would like us to stop asking questions, but we cannot and will not let the shooting death of Shireen Abu Akleh be swept under the rug," Van Hollen said.
Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, condemned the lack of progress in official investigations and the failure to hold anyone accountable.
"Although all the investigations clearly show that Israeli forces were responsible for Shireen Abu Akleh's death, the absence of political will still prevents justice from being rendered. The systematic Israeli impunity is outrageous and cannot continue," Jonathan Dagher, the head of RSF's Middle East desk, said in a statement.
Journalists reporting from the West Bank have long been at risk of injury or death.
In the past two decades, military fire from the Israel Defense Forces has resulted in the deaths of at least 20 journalists — 18 of whom were Palestinian, according to a report released this week.
No one has ever been charged or held accountable for these killings, according to the report by the New York nonprofit the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In her video message Thursday, Shireen Abu Akleh's niece Lina reiterated the need for accountability, saying, "It's really important that we continue to call for justice for Shireen, because journalism is not a crime."
