Joint investigation finds Abu Akleh’s killing ‘deliberate’
Al JazeeraSep 20, 2022
The Facts
A joint investigation by Forensic Architecture, a London-based multidisciplinary research group, and Al-Haq, a Palestinian rights group, has refuted Israel’s account that the killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was accidental.
The analysis reportedly includes a detailed digital reconstruction of the incident based on previously unseen footage recorded by Al Jazeera staff at the scene and witness testimony, open-source video, and a drone survey of the area.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel's denial that one of its soldiers intentionally killed Abu Akleh is becoming farcical as new evidence continues to prove otherwise. The Israeli sniper could clearly see that Abu Akleh was a journalist and fired at her and those who tried to help her for two minutes. Israel must be held accountable for this terrible crime.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though this recent investigation may seem like a smoking gun, Al Jazeera hasn't made public the unseen footage it gave to Forensic Architecture and Al-Haq. Accordingly, its findings are hearsay until they can be verified by independent observers. In addition, Al-Haq is associated with the terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which cannot be trusted considering its criminal history. There is still no reason to believe that Abu Akleh's killing was deliberate.