Shireen Abu Akleh: Who is Al-Jazeera correspondent killed in Jenin?

CAIRO – 12 May 2022: On May 11, a statement by Al-Jazeera Media Network said that its correspondent in the occupied West Bank, Shireen Abu Akleh, was shot dead by the Israeli army in Jenin refugee camp.

Meanwhile, Israeli sources said that the reporter was killed as a result of indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian gunmen.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that Abu Akleh died of serious injuries she sustained in the head area while covering the Israeli forces' storming of Jenin camp on Wednesday morning.

Al-Jazeera network accused the Israeli soldiers of targeting its correspondent "directly". It quoted eyewitnesses saying that "a sniper targeted Shireen with a bullet in the face, even though she was wearing a jacket and helmet bearing the logo of the press."

Who is Shireen Abu Akleh?

Shireen Abu Akleh was born in January 1971 in Jerusalem. She graduated from the Rosary Sisters School in Beit Hanina in Jerusalem, and holds the American citizenship.

Akleh initially studied architecture at the University of Science and Technology in Jordan, and then moved on to study journalism. She obtained a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from Yarmouk University of Jordan, and her major was in written journalism.

After her graduation, Akleh returned to the Palestinian territories and worked in several media organizations, including Voice of Palestine Radio and Amman Satellite Channel.

Then, in 1997, she started working for Al-Jazeera satellite channel, a year after its launch, where she was one of the first generation of field correspondents.

Akleh in Egypt in August 2021

It is worth noting that Akleh visited Egypt's Pyramids Antiquities Area in August of 2021, where she uploaded a picture on her official account on Facebook, commenting: "Egypt, there is no beauty like yours".