WEST BANK (Dispatches) – New footage has emerged showing no signs of fighting before veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Zionist troops in the occupied West Bank last week.
The clip, which contradicts the occupying regime’s initial version of events, was filmed by a Jenin resident and shows quiet moments, with no sounds of fighting between Zionist troops and Palestinian fighters.
In the new video, obtained by Middle East Eye, some people are seen laughing and talking while others in the background, including Abu Akleh and some of her colleagues, are seen wearing visible blue press flak jackets.
Before the shooting, the journalists were seen walking in the direction where Zionist troops were located. Once the shooting starts, people are seen running away from where the troops were positioned, and Abu Akleh is then seen lying in the street after being hit.
After her death, regime authorities initially said that Palestinian fighters may have been responsible and circulated a video of Palestinian men shooting down a narrow alleyway.
Abu Akleh, a veteran journalist of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network’s Arabic service, was shot in the head on May 11, when she was reporting on a Zionist raid on the Jenin refugee camp.
Her tragic death sent shockwaves across the region, drawing global condemnation. The United Nations and the European Union, among others, have called for a full investigation into what has been described as a deliberate killing “in cold blood.”
Over 100 leading artists from across the world condemned the killing of Abu Akleh, demanding accountability for the regime’s crimes.
The artists, including Hollywood stars, acclaimed authors and prominent musicians, condemned the murder in a joint statement on Thursday.
“We are deeply disturbed by the Israeli occupation forces’ killing of the highly respected Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, as she arrived, wearing a clearly marked press vest, to report on an Israeli incursion in the occupied city of Jenin last Wednesday. As we grieve her loss, we call for full accountability for the perpetrators of this crime and everyone involved in authorizing it,” the statement read.
The artists and public figures said “Israeli forces have killed 45 journalists since 2000, injuring many more, simply for doing their job”, lambasting a “pattern of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Palestinian journalists” by the Zionist regime.