Shireen Abu Akleh: Qatar demands accountability over journalist's killing

Qatar's assistant foreign minister has demanded that Israel be held accountable over the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Speaking on Friday at a conference in Vienna marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, Lolwah al-Khater paid tribute to the veteran reporter and expressed concern over the "persistence of impunity for violations and crimes committed against journalists".

"The murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh highlights the fact that protection and prevention methods are only effective when combined with prosecution mechanisms," al-Khater was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying.

Abu Akleh, 51, was shot dead by the Israeli army while covering a raid on Jenin in May.

Palestinian officials, Abu Akleh’s family and Al Jazeera accuse Israel of intentionally targeting and killing her. She was wearing a helmet and a protective vest marked with the word "PRESS" when she was shot in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has acknowledged that Israeli fire "probably" killed Abu Akleh, but denies allegations that a soldier intentionally targeted her.

Al-Khater highlighted in her speech that Abu Akleh was one of "over 45 journalists killed by Israeli forces since 2000".

Palestinian reporters are regularly subjected to arrest, violence and prosecution by Israeli forces, as part of a programme of "systematic violence" by Israel, according to rights groups.

In 2021, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Amnesty International asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel’s bombing of the Jalaa Tower in Gaza. Israel's flattening of the building, which housed international media outlets including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, may have amounted to a war crime, the rights groups argued.

A complaint was also submitted to the ICC in September urging an international investigation into Abu Akleh's killing.