The South African government has slammed “in the strongest possible terms” Wednesday’s alleged killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli soldiers.
Akleh, a Palestinian-American, was shot in the head on Wednesday morning while she was been covering a military raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, a stronghold of the Palestinian Fatah movement and historical flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation director general Zane Dangor said the targeting of journalists in the occupied territories, and in conflict zones like Ukraine and Afghanistan, “appears to be part of a pattern of silencing the free press and is an outright contravention of international law.”
“International human rights law obligates the occupying power to allow for the freedom of expression and protests,” Dangor said.
He noted that in other conflict zones, civilians and other non-combatants are protected “in keeping with the Principle of Distinction and other protective measures of the Geneva Conventions.”
“The ability of journalists to cover events as they take place is essential, and efforts to intimidate and assassinate members of the media cannot be allowed to continue with impunity.”
The Israeli government, however, said armed Palestinians likely mistakenly shot and killed the journalist.
JN/APA