Film claims to name killer of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist known for her coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, was shot dead in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank while she worked, wearing a bulletproof vest marked "press."
Al Jazeera and witnesses immediately blamed the Israeli army. Then Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it was probable the shots had come from Palestinian militants.
In the weeks that followed, several journalistic investigations pointed the blame at Israeli gunfire.
Months later, Israel released an internal investigation that found a "high probability" that Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by the Israeli army, which claimed it was targeting armed Palestinians.
Produced by independent news site Zeteo, the documentary "Who killed Shireen?" names for the first time the suspect as Alon Scaggio, an elite soldier.
"Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier's identity, they wouldn't provide the US with any information. They wouldn't let the US interview him. They wouldn't give the US his statement. And they wouldn't give his name," said Dion Nissenbaum, a journalist who worked on the film.
Assisted by producer Conor Powell and reporter Fatima AbdulKarim -- who worked for The New York Times in the West Bank -- Nissenbaum, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, consulted testimony from two Israeli soldiers present in Jenin on May 11, 2022 as well as top US officials.
The documentary alleges that Scaggio, then 20, had completed training for the elite Duvdevan unit just three months prior.
"He shot her intentionally. There's no question about that. The question is did he know she was a journalist and did he know she was Shireen Abu Akleh? Was it an order from above?" Nissenbaum told AFP.
"Personally, I don't think it was an order. I don't think he knew it was Shireen. Nobody ever has indicated that he could tell that it was Shireen. But she was wearing the blue flak-jacket with the word 'press' on it."
HANDOUT/AFP/File | -
"The evidence (suggests)... it was an intentional killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. Whether or not they knew it was her or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum," said a senior official from the administration of then-US president Joe Biden, speaking in the film anonymously.
Washington did not exert significant pressure on the issue, the documentary claims, for fear of antagonising its ally.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said he called on Biden to declassify documents about the killing -- but went unanswered.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said "it is the first time that a potential suspect has been named in connection with an Israeli killing of a journalist" according to its records dating back to 1992.
Impunity in the case "has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more" journalists, the CPJ said.
Reporters Without Borders estimates around 200 journalists were killed in the past 18 months of Israeli strikes on Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesman condemned the unauthorized disclosure of the suspect's name despite no "definitive determination" of who shot Abu Akleh.
The soldier in question "fell during an operational activity," the army added.
Nissenbaum had initially thought Scaggio died in Gaza, but ultimately concluded he was killed in Jenin on June 27, 2024 almost two years after Abu Akleh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
Hamas says ready to start Gaza ceasefire talks ‘immediately'
Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting. Boys inspect the rubble of a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on 18 April 2025. Picture: Bashar Taleb / AFP Israel was mulling its response on Saturday after Hamas said it was ready to start talks 'immediately' on a US-sponsored proposal for a Gaza ceasefire. The security cabinet was expected to meet after the end of the Jewish sabbath at sundown to discuss Israel's next steps as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to leave for Washington for talks on Monday with US President Donald Trump. Trump has been making a renewed push for an end to nearly 21 months of war in Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 32 people were killed in Israeli military operations on Saturday. 'No decision has been made yet on that issue,' an Israeli government official told AFP when asked about Hamas's positive response to the latest ceasefire proposal. ALSO READ: Israel bombs café during children's birthday party in Gaza — 39 killed Hamas made its announcement late Friday after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions. 'The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place' the terms of the US-backed truce proposal, the militant group said in a statement. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded 'guarantees' that Israel 'will not resume its aggression' once hostages held in Gaza are freed. Trump, when asked about Hamas's response aboard Air Force One, said: 'That's good. They haven't briefed me on it. We have to get it over with. We have to do something about Gaza.' The war in Gaza began with Hamas's October 2023 attack, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by Palestinian militants. Two previous ceasefires mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. 60-day truce proposal Efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for guarantees that any new ceasefire will be lasting. A Palestinian source familiar with the negotiations told AFP earlier this week that the latest proposal included 'a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip' – thought to number 22 – 'in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'. Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distributions in the territory in late May when Israel eased a more than two month blockade on aid deliveries. READ MORE: Six Israelis detained for attacking soldiers in West Bank The group said two of its US staff were wounded in an 'attack' on one of its aid centres in southern Gaza on Saturday. 'This morning, two American aid workers were injured in a targeted terrorist attack during food distribution activities at SDS-3 in Khan Yunis,' the organisation said, adding that reports indicated it was carried out by 'two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans'. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli fire on people waiting to collect rations. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. GHF's chairman Johnnie Moore, a Christian evangelical leader allied to Trump, on Wednesday rejected calls for the lead role in Gaza aid distributions to revert to UN agencies. 'We will not be shut down. We have one job to do. It's very simple, every day to provide free food to the people of Gaza,' he told reporters. Civil defence says schools hit Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said Israeli military operations killed 32 people across the war-battered territory on Saturday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Bassal said Saturday's dead included eight people killed in two strikes on schools in Gaza City. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1 219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57 268 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable. NOW READ: Israel accused of starving Gaza 'by design' — South Africa addresses ICJ
eNCA
13 hours ago
- eNCA
FIA urges neutrality after Mayer launches presidency bid
LONDON - Motor sport's ruling body the FIA on Saturday insisted it would remain impartial after American Tim Mayer launched a potentially acrimonious challenge to incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December's election. Mayer launched his campaign Friday at Silverstone, ahead of the British Grand Prix, with an attack on the controversial Ben Sulayem. "The FIA Presidential election is a structured and democratic process, to ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity at every stage. It is conducted in accordance with the FIA Statutes," said the FIA statement. "In line with the FIA's commitment to impartiality and to preserve equal treatment of candidates, FIA staff members are required to maintain strict neutrality throughout the process. "The Federation will continue to operate as normal, delivering on its responsibilities to its Members and across all areas of motor sport and mobility." The election will take place during the FIA General Assemblies on 12 December. The statement followed Mayer's attack on Ben Sulayem's time in office. The American said the president had delivered on none of his promises and had gone "in completely the other direction". "We have the illusion of integrity and what we've seen is wave after wave of statute changes, which are designed to concentrate power in one office, which is the exact opposite of what he promised." Mayer added that he would reverse the statute changes. He said the sport's two World Council "have been gagged and are not able to represent the people who elected them". Mayer, 59, the son of former McLaren boss Tim Mayer, is an experienced motor racing official who was dismissed as a Formula One steward last year in a text message sent by an assistant of Ben Sulayem. He launched his 'FIA Forward' campaign on Friday and was given a warm welcome by most F1 team bosses. "I like Tim," said compatriot and McLaren chief Zak Brown. "And he's got some family history with McLaren. Aston Martin's Andy Cowell also pointed to Mayer's Formula One heritage.
eNCA
13 hours ago
- eNCA
Dalai Lama, on eve of 90th, aims to live for decades more
MCLEOD GANJ - The Dalai Lama said Saturday he dreamed of living for decades more, as the Buddhist spiritual leader prayed with thousands of exiled Tibetans on the eve of his 90th birthday. Thumping drums and deep horns reverberated from the Indian hilltop temple, as a chanting chorus of red-robed monks and nuns offered long-life prayers for Tenzin Gyatso, who followers believe is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Looking in good health, dressed in traditional maroon monk robes and a flowing yellow wrap, he led prayers -- days after confirming that the 600-year-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death. Many exiled Tibetans fear China will name its own successor to the Dalai Lama, to bolster control over a territory it poured troops into in 1950 and has ruled ever since. "So far, I have done my best and with the continued blessings of Avalokiteshvara (a Buddhist spiritual protector), I hope to live another 30 or 40 years, continuing to serve sentient beings and the Buddha Dharma", he said, referring to the teachings of the Buddha. Followers of the Dalai Lama laud his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau about the size of South Africa. AFP | Niharika KULKARNI But speaking at the main temple in the Indian Himalayan town where he has lived for decades -- after Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 -- he offered teachings to a far wider audience. "In my life, I have encountered people from all walks of life, those with faith in religion and others with no interest in it at all. This is only natural, as individuals have different mental dispositions", he said, speaking in Tibetan. "Yet, the common desire shared by all, including the Tibetan people, is the wish to avoid suffering and to experience happiness." The charismatic Buddhist had previously said the institution would continue only if there was popular demand -- and his confirmation on Wednesday it would has reassured followers around the globe. He said he had received multiple appeals from Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, as well as from Buddhists from across the Himalayan region, Mongolia and parts of Russia and China. He said responsibility for identifying the 15th Dalai Lama "will rest exclusively" with his office, the India-based Gaden Phodrang Trust. Self-declared atheist and Communist China, which condemns the Nobel Peace Prize winner as a rebel and separatist, issued a swift response. China said on Wednesday that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama "must be approved by the central government" in Beijing, and that it would be carried out "by drawing lots from a golden urn", foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters. That urn is held by Beijing, and the Dalai Lama has already warned that, when used dishonestly, it lacks "any spiritual quality". India and China are intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, but have sought to repair ties after a 2020 border clash. New Delhi's foreign minister said it had "always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so". - 'Struggle' - The birthday celebrations have also been a time for reflection on an inevitable future without the Dalai Lama. "Seeing him turn 90 today fills me with happiness, but also a deep sadness," said Dorje Dolma, 27, who fled Tibet to India. "His Holiness has always felt like a father figure to me," she added. "His good health brings me joy, but his age sometimes worries me." Hollywood star Richard Gere, a longtime backer of the Tibetans in exile, has been among the tens of thousands taking part in days of celebrations. "There's something about this Tibetan cause that touches people, and certainly, a central part of that is His Holiness the Dalai Lama," Gere said during celebrations on Thursday. "Which begs the question: What do we do when we don't have His Holiness to open those doors? He's not there to carry us. And we struggle with that, all of us now." by Tenzin Woeden
