Shireen Abu Akleh

A pioneering Palestinian-American journalist whose reporting for Al Jazeera over 25 years gave global audiences a human perspective on life under Israeli occupation, Shireen Abu Akleh was known as “the voice of Palestine.”

On May 11, 2022, while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin, she was fatally shot despite wearing clearly marked press gear. Multiple investigations — by the UN, CNN, The Washington Post, and others — concluded that Israeli forces were responsible, contradicting initial Israeli claims. Independent groups argued she was deliberately targeted, though Israel maintains it was accidental and has refused to take accountability or cooperate with international investigations.

Her killing was widely condemned as an attack on press freedom and a possible war crime, and her legacy endures as a symbol of Palestinian resilience and unflinching journalism in the face of military occupation.

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Assassinations Podcast was created by Niall Cooper, who researches and writes the show. Lindsey Morse is our editor and producer. Our theme music was created by Graeme Ronald. If you’d like to hear more from Graeme, check out his band, Remember Remember. You’ll find them on iTunes.