Rabat – Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency, a non-profit dedicated to humanitarian work in Palestine, announced on Saturday the launching of an award for journalistic excellence in honor of the memory of the Palestinian journalist killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank.
In the first cycle, the award will be named after the Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, according to an official statement from the agency.
On May 11, Abu Akleh became yet another casualty of Israeli gunfire as an Israeli sniper shot her in the head.
A significant body of evidence suggests that the death of Shireen Abu Akleh was not an accident. At the time of the killing, the American-Palestinian journalist was both wearing a press vest and helmet.
Shireen Abu Akleh was not the only Arab reporter in the vicinity. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi said that they both came under heavy fire despite being at the time among unarmed protestors.
While trying to flee the scene, al-Samoudi said that gunfire was targeting Al Jazeera Arabic reporters. Al-Samoudi was shot in the back before another shot. Despite both journalists wearing press vests and helmets, and being among unarmed protestors, Israeli forces appeared to deliberately target the Al Jazeera Arabic reporter. Shots were fired, hitting al-Samoudi in the hit Shireen Abu Akleh in the head.
Recounting the incident, al-Samoudi said that Israeli gunfire continued to shower them even after Abu Akleh dropped dead.
A tweet from the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland appeared to back the suggestions that Israeli forces deliberately targeted the slain veteran Al Jazeera journalist.
“Media workers should never be targeted,” the UN official said in the tweet.
Read Also: MENA Journalism Mourns Death of Iconic Reporter Shireen Abu Akleh
