Featured image by the artist Aya Mobaydeen
Shereen Abu Aqleh, the West Bank’s voice, and a Palestinian hero and role model, was assassinated in cold blood in Jenin on a Wednesday morning while documenting an Israeli army raid and doing her job of portraying the true face of the Israeli forces. The IOF shot Shereen in the head when she was wearing press armor and following all safety rules given.
“ Perhaps it is not easy to change the reality, but at least I was able to convey its voice to the world”
Shereen Abu Aqleh
Shereen Abu Aqleh, a Palestinian and US citizen, was born in Jerusalem in 1971. She has dedicated her life to Palestinian resistance and has served as the Palestinian voice for the past three decades. She has not only relayed Palestinians’ stories, but she has also lived through each one. She went to the homes of martyrs and stood with their families, comforting them. She was always out in the field making sure everyone was okay.
Shereen studied journalism at Jordan’s Yarmouk University and as soon as she returned to Palestine she worked for UNRWA, Voice of Palestine Radio, Amman Satellite Channel, Miftah Foundation, and Al Jazeera Satellite Channel. she reported major events from the murderers, demolishing houses Israeli forces have been causing to the Second Intifada. she was deeply loved and not only regarded as a bright journalist but also as an influential figure and a role model
“ When you talk about Shereen, you talk about somebody whose presence is felt in every home and heard in every home. she was fearless but also human and there were times when she was scared when encountering difficult situations the only difference was that she pulled through. she was there in every town, every Palestinian town”
Dalia Hatuqa said, A close friend and college.
Shereen isn’t the only journalist who has been targeted recently or in the past. From the early 2000s to the present, 55 journalists have been assassinated while doing their jobs and broadcasting news and resistance voices around the world. They’ve been targeted to quiet people and hide the truth, but Palestinian journalists’ daily sacrifices and risks haven’t stopped since then. And even today as the people of Palestine and the whole world come together to honor her life. the Israeli forces stormed into her house to ban the gatherings and the national music sang by her people.
The Israeli forces have released a statement regarding her execution explaining that there were confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers which resulted in the death of our beloved journalist however journalists who witnessed the assassination denied any confrontation.
“We were four journalists — we were all wearing vests, all wearing helmets,” Ms shatha Hanaysha told Al Jazeera. Israeli forces, she said, “did not stop firing even after she collapsed. I couldn’t even extend my arm to pull her because of the shots. The army was adamant on shooting to kill.”
Killing journalists is a war crime. Killing innocent citizens. Killing men, women, and kids is a war crime that should be spoken about by the whole world and the Israeli authorities should be held accountable. Its painful to know Shereen will not be around anymore but her stories and her sacrifices are enough for us to pull through and fight with our voices besides our Palestinian families