Picking up the torch from Shireen Abu Akleh

"Shireen's killing was meant to scare Palestinians into silence. Instead, it has inspired many young Palestinians to speak up. I can't remember a time in my childhood when I didn't hear Shireen Abu Akleh's voice. She was one of the few constants in our ever-shifting landscape, an icon that anchored the Palestinian cause firmly in the Arab conscience."

"She started reporting on the most important events in Palestine even before I was born. She documented the second Intifada and the battle for Jenin in 2002. In 2005, she became the first Arab journalist to gain access to the Ashqelon prison to interview Palestinian prisoners held there for years. I still vividly recall listening to Shireen during the 2014 war on Gaza."

"We soon saw the footage: Shireen lying on the ground, journalist Shatha Hanaysha by her side, and someone behind the camera desperately shouting for an ambulance. Israeli fire hampered rescue efforts, leaving Shireen bleeding on the ground as colleagues were unable to pull her to safety. The assassination in broad daylight of one of Palestine's top journalists was not just a shocking crime."

"A year and a half later, Israel began a campaign of systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza. As of today, at least 260 media workers have been kille"

Shireen Abu Akleh became a constant Palestinian voice, reporting major events for decades and anchoring the Palestinian cause in Arab public consciousness. She documented the second Intifada and the battle for Jenin in 2002, and in 2005 became the first Arab journalist to access Ashqelon prison to interview Palestinian prisoners. During the 2014 war on Gaza, her broadcasts offered hope and resilience while conveying the anguish of bombing. Her work earned broad respect across Palestinian faiths and political affiliations. After her killing on May 11, 2022, footage showed her bleeding on the ground while Israeli fire hampered rescue. Her assassination signaled further violence, followed by systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, with at least 260 media workers killed.

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