Four years ago, the martyr of truth Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian journalist, was assassinated by an Israeli sniper while covering the events taking place in the Jenin.
Shireen was, and still is, an icon of the free Palestinian voice.
May she rest in peace, and may her memory live forever. شيرين أبو عاقلة، شهيدة الحق.
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Shireen Abu Akleh’s family issued a public statement affirming that they “will not stop” pursuing “justice for Shireen through all available avenues,” to mark the fourth anniversary of her murder.
The family is “deeply disappointed by the lack of meaningful action from both the current and previous United States administrations.”
CPJ and Abu Akleh’s family demand the FBI provide transparency into its stalled investigation and bring those responsible to justice.
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A vigil organized for slain Palestinian-American journalist
Shireen Abu Akleh outside the Washington, D.C., offices of Al Jazeera
English on August 18, 2022. (Photo: Chris Sheridan/Al Jazeera English)
May 7, 2026
To mark the upcoming fourth anniversary of the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,
on May 11, 2026, the Abu Akleh family issued a public statement
affirming that they “will not stop” pursuing “justice for Shireen
through all available avenues.”
Abu Akleh was murdered while covering an Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
operation in the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11, 2022, despite
wearing a clearly marked “Press” vest. Her killing is part of a wider
pattern of journalist deaths by Israeli military fire in which no one
has been held accountable.
Read the statement below:
Four years have passed since the Israeli killing of our beloved
Shireen Abu Akleh, a dedicated journalist, a fearless truth-teller, and a
voice for the voiceless. Yet, despite the passage of time, justice
remains elusive.
Shireen was a Palestinian-American journalist who was
deliberately targeted by an Israeli sniper while carrying out her
professional duty, wearing a press vest, clearly identified as a
journalist. Her killing was not only a tragic loss for our family, but
also a grave attack on press freedom and the fundamental right to report
the truth.
Over the past four years, we have witnessed a persistent failure
to hold those responsible accountable. No one has been brought to
justice, neither for her killing nor for the attack on her funeral. This
ongoing impunity sends a dangerous message that journalists can be
targeted without consequence.
We have seen that pattern repeated in Gaza and Lebanon for more
than two years now. At least 260 journalists and media workers have been
killed by Israel’s military since 2023.
We are deeply disappointed by the lack of meaningful action from
both the current and previous United States administrations. Shireen was
a U.S. citizen and the government has so far failed to act on behalf of
its own citizens. That status should have triggered a clear, forceful
obligation from the U.S. government to pursue accountability with the
same urgency it would for any American killed abroad. The lack of
progress in the FBI investigation into Shireen’s killing further
demonstrates the government’s failure to deliver justice.
Despite repeated calls for accountability and transparency,
concrete measures have not been taken to ensure justice for Shireen.
This lack of support has only compounded our pain and strengthened the
culture of impunity.
Accountability is not only about justice for Shireen; it is about
protecting journalists everywhere. Without accountability, the
targeting of journalists will continue, and the truth itself will remain
under threat.
As a family, we reaffirm today what we have said from the very
beginning: “we will not stop”. We will continue to pursue justice for
Shireen through all available avenues, until those responsible are held
accountable.
Shireen’s voice echoes through us as we resolve, again, to
remember and carry forth her spirit and legacy, and to make our
ceaseless demand for justice.
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People light candles during a vigil in memory of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh [File: Mussa Qawasma/Reuters]
"Multiple witnesses said Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli gunfire, a
narrative that has been enforced by numerous investigations. The
Palestinian Authority (PA) and Qatar, where Al Jazeera is based, have
also blamed Israel.
In the letter delivered on Thursday, the legislators, all Democrats
and two independents who caucus with the party, called for “a thorough
and transparent investigation under US auspices” into the killing of Abu
Akleh, a Palestinian American who was wearing a “Press” vest when she
was shot."
Senators urge direct US involvement in Abu Akleh killing probe
Veteran Al Jazeera journalist was killed by Israeli forces while reporting in Jenin on May 11.
Twenty-four United States senators have called on President Joe Biden
to ensure direct involvement from Washington in the investigation of
the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces.
The latest appeal from US legislators comes after the Biden administration backtracked on Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement
in early June that the US wants an “independent” investigation into Abu
Akleh’s killing as she covered a raid in Jenin in the occupied West
Bank on May 11.... READ MORE- as always please go to the original link to read the article in full
All the Palestinian journalists in the photo were recently martyred in GAZA,
after showing the truth to a blind world.
Gaza in 2025- Palestine is the most well-documented genocide in history, yet the most denied.
To be clear- Wikipedia on what a MARTYR was and is:
A martyr (Greek: μάρτυς, mártys, 'witness' stemμαρτυρ-, martyr-) is someone who suffers persecution
and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or
advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external
party. In colloquial usage, the term can also refer to any person who
suffers a significant consequence in protest or support of a cause.
In its original meaning, the word martyr, meaningwitness, was used in the secular sphere as well as in the New Testamentof the Bible.[4]
The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of
the witness, although it is known from ancient writers (e.g., Josephus) and from the New Testament that witnesses often died for their testimonies.
In Palestine, the word ‘martyr’ is traditionally used to mean a person killed by Israeli forces, regardless of religion.[15][16] For example, Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian Christian journalist who was killed by Israeli forces, and Arabic media calls her a ‘martyr’.[17] This reflects a communal belief that every Palestinian death is part of a resistance against Israeli occupation.[18] Children are likewise called martyrs, such as the late children of journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh who were killed in an Israeli airstrike.[19]
How Western media silence enables the killing of Palestinian journalists
Hossam Shabat and Mohammad Mansour were the
latest Palestinian journalists to be assassinated in Gaza.
Responsibility for their killings rests in part on their Western
colleagues who have failed to accurately cover Israel's genocidal
assault.
Palestinian journalists lift placards during a rally in protest of the
killing of fellow reporters Hussam Shabat and Muhammad Mansour in
Israeli strikes a day earlier, in Gaza City on March 25, 2025. (Photo:
Omar Ashtawy/APA Images)
On March 24, 2025, we witnessed the deliberate killing of yet another
Palestinian journalist. Hossam Shabat, a 24-year-old reporter for Al
Jazeera Mubasher and contributor to Drop Site News, was assassinated in
an Israeli airstrike targeting his vehicle in northern Gaza. Hours
earlier, Mohammad Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, was also
killed in Khan Younis.
These were not accidents. These were not casualties of “crossfire” or
“clashes.” These were targeted assassinations designed to silence those
who document the truth about Gaza.
“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely
targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces,” wrote Hossam in a final
message shared by his team. His words now stand as both testament and
indictment. “I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute,
determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury.”
The Israeli military placed Hossam and five other Palestinian
journalists on a hit list in October 2024. He regularly received death
threats by call and text. Yesterday, that threat was carried out.
When this genocide began, Hossam was just 21 years old—a college
student studying journalism who could not have imagined his future.
“Little did I know I would be given one of the hardest jobs in the
world: to cover the genocide of my own people,” he wrote about a year
ago.
Since October 2023, at least 208 Palestinian journalists have been
killed by Israeli forces. This is not collateral damage—it is a
systematic campaign to eliminate witnesses. By targeting journalists,
Israel seeks to control the narrative, to ensure that its actions in
Gaza occur in darkness, free from the scrutiny of international law and
public opinion.
The idea that Western journalists are responsible for Hossam’s
martyrdom today is not a slogan. Their total journalistic malpractice
and regurgitation of Zionist propaganda has left Palestinian journalists
exposed, as a precious few who publish the truth, and, therefore:
targets. Their failure to accurately report on the targeting of their
colleagues, their reluctance to challenge Israeli narratives, and their
tendency to frame these killings as unfortunate byproducts of conflict
rather than deliberate acts—these journalistic failures have real
consequences. They have left Palestinian journalists vulnerable, bearing
alone the responsibility of documenting atrocities that many Western
outlets refuse to acknowledge.
Hossam embodied resilience in the face of this isolation. “I say to
the world, I am continuing. I am covering the events with an empty
stomach, steadfast and persevering,” he once said in an interview. Hours
before his death, he filed a story about Israel’s renewed bombing
campaign that killed over 400 people, including nearly 200 children, in
just hours. “I want to share the text urgently,” he wrote, desperate to
ensure the world would know.
For 492 days, Hossam survived in conditions most journalists will
never experience. He “slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I
could,” he wrote. “Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger
for months, yet I never left my people’s side.”
The father of Mohammad Mansour, the other journalist killed
yesterday, spoke words that should haunt every newsroom: “Stand up and
speak, tell the world, you are the one who tells the truth, for the
image alone is not enough.”
Yet most Western journalists remain silent about the systematic
killing of their Palestinian colleagues. The International Federation of
Journalists has documented by name those killed or injured, but these
deaths rarely receive the coverage or outrage they deserve. When
journalists are targeted anywhere else in the world, press freedom
organizations and major news outlets rightfully condemn such attacks.
The silence surrounding Palestinian journalists speaks volumes.
True journalism means acknowledging uncomfortable truths: that these
journalists were not killed accidentally but deliberately targeted; that
their deaths serve to obscure war crimes; that the weapons used to kill
them often come from the same countries whose media fails to report
accurately on their deaths.
In his final message, Hossam made a request: “Do not stop speaking
about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling
our stories—until Palestine is free.”
Western journalists have a moral and professional obligation to honor
this request. They must accurately report on the targeting of their
colleagues. They must challenge narratives that dismiss these killings
as unfortunate accidents. They must recognize that their silence makes
them complicit.
Hossam concluded, “By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist.” The
question now is whether Western journalists will fulfill theirs.
News on Palestine you can trust
Thank you for reading this article. Before you go, we want to ask for your help. The Israeli government announced they will spend an additional $150 Million on propaganda in 2025. With the help of mainstream media, they are trying to sway public opinion over the genocide in Gaza.
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"This is Hossam’s team, and we are sharing his final message :
“If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces.
When this all began, I was only 21 years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else.
For past 18 months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people.
I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury.
I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could.
Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.
By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past 18 months .
I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.
I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.”
— For the last time, Hossam Shabat, from northern Gaza."
Israel targets and kills Hossam Shabat hours after killing his colleague Mohammad Mansour
124 journalist were killed around the world in 2024, around two-thirds of them were Palestinian.
"More journalists executed in Gaza. This time, the IDF admits it deliberately targeted them because one of them was a “terrorist.” As usual no evidence is provided. But killings after killings, truth-telling won’t die. We all bear witness of Israel genocide..."
Marking 50 years since the Nakba, or the Catastrophe, when hundreds
of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homes, Shireen
reported from various cities in Palestine, covering the outrage of the
Palestinians continuously fighting against the Israeli occupation and
its brutality.
2017
For years, Shireen shed light on the particularly bittersweet event
of Christmas for Palestinians. Restrictions imposed by Israel’s
occupation put a damper on this joyous public holiday, normally a time
of celebration and gathering, celebrated by Muslims and Christians
alike. The separation wall, as well as the checkpoints that peppered the
West Bank, have made it difficult, if not impossible, for Palestinians
to travel between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.
Shireen was there to tell those stories.
2018
Shireen had an eye and an affinity for Palestinian culture in its
various forms, including dance and art. In this particular story, she
reported on traditional Palestinian embroidery, better known in Arabic
as "tatreez". For decades, Palestinians have tried to keep their
heritage alive through tatreez, and Shireen ensured she introduced
viewers to the women and men who embroidered despite physical challenges
or from inside Israeli prisons.
It's been 1,000 days since Israeli forces killed renowned Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Al Jazeera reflects on her remarkable career https://aje.io/n5p1a6
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