The Arab world blamed IDF soldiers for the shooting of prominent Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday morning, which occurred during clashes that broke out in Jenin.

Arab leaders accused Israel and the IDF of systematic terrorism, premeditated murder and intentionally targeting free speech.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel was fully responsible for Abu Akleh’s death, and the Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying: “We condemn the execution of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and hold the extremist Israeli Prime Minister [Naftali] Bennett fully and directly responsible for this heinous crime.”

General Secretariat of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate member Omar Nazzal said: “This is a sad and black day for the Palestinian people and the press.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent said: “We mourn Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was martyred in the Jenin camp while doing her work.”

A Hamas statement read: “The assassination of the occupation media, Shireen Abu Akleh, is premeditated murder and is condemned in the strongest terms. It will not obscure the reality of the occupation’s terrorism and brutality.”

Hamas said it considers it an international crime, and urged international movements to condemn the attack as well.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad said: “The occupation’s assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is a full-fledged crime and [the] targeting [of] journalists who report its crimes to international public opinion.”

Qatar’s assistant foreign minister Lolwah Alkhater condemned the killing by the “Israeli occupation,” and called in a Twitter post for an end to “state-sponsored Israeli terrorism.”

In another Twitter post, Alkhater said “Israeli occupation killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by shooting her in the face while wearing the Press vest and a helmet. She was covering their attack in Jenin refugee camp. This state-sponsored Israeli terrorism must STOP, unconditional support to Israel must END.

“We all attached ourselves to Shireen, the free voice of Palestine, with this confident face, even in the darkest conditions in which the truffles tremble. May God accept her and our condolences to her family.”

Husam Zomlot, PA ambassador to the UK, wrote on Twitter: “Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering their brutality in Jenin this morning. Shireen was [a] most prominent Palestinian journalist and a close friend. Now we will hear the ‘concerns’ of the UK government and the international community.”
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Al Jazeera’s news update on its live TV channel read, “Israeli forces killed journalist ‘in cold blood’ in crime that breaches international norms.”

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east