Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh honored at vigil outside White House

A group of activists and journalists held a candlelight vigil Thursday outside the White House in Washington, D.C. to honor Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead on May 11 last year while reporting on an Israeli military raid.

The vigil, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Museum of the Palestinian People, was attended by many activists and Abu Akleh's friends as well as colleagues from Al Jazeera, who demanded justice and accountability for her.

Abu Akleh, a senior Al Jazeera journalist widely respected for her extensive coverage of Palestine and Israel, was shot in the head while covering an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank city of Hebron. She was wearing a blue vest marked "PRESS" and a helmet.

Laila Al-Arian, an executive producer at Al Jazeera English, told Anadolu during the vigil that it is important for anyone who cares about press freedom to "push for justice and accountability" in Abu Akleh's case.

"It has already been one year since Shireen was shot to death, covering a military raid in Jenin and doing her job. And nobody has been charged. Nobody has been arrested," she said. "We don't even know the name of the soldier who killed her."

She said the aim of the vigil in front of the White House is to "send a message loud and clear to the Biden administration that they need to take a much tougher stance on this case."

"They need to pressure the Israelis to be much more transparent about this case," she said, while also calling on the Biden administration to push for accountability in the killing of her colleague.

Aline Hanna, who said Abu Akleh was her best friend, told Anadolu that the main message of the vigil is "seeking justice for Shireen."

"It's been a year, and there have been so many investigations that were conducted. But unfortunately, no actual action was taken," she said, demanding justice and accountability for Shireen.

She said she and Shireen were friends for many years.

"It has been heartbreaking to witness what happened, the injustice that has happened to her and continues to happen to all the Palestinians," she added.

A year after her death, no one has been charged or held responsible, although the Israeli army admitted in September 2022 that it is "highly probable" that she was killed by an Israeli soldier.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari on Thursday apologized for the killing of Abu Akleh, saying: "I think it's an opportunity for me to say here that we are very sorry (for) the death of the late Shireen Abu Akleh."

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched its own investigation into her killing. However, according to some reports by US media outlets, the FBI agents investigating the shooting have yet to speak to key witnesses of the incident.

Meanwhile, the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. held an event where Al Jazeera's D.C. bureau chief Abderrahim Foukara, Shireen's niece Lina Abu Akleh, National Press Club President Eileen O'Reilly and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen addressed the participants.

"While I was pleased to hear that the FBI is investigating her death, we don't know where that investigation stands. Over the last year, we have fought to ensure accountability in Shireen's shooting death, and we won't stop until the full truth is known and justice is done," Senator Hollen said in a video message.

"One year after Shireen's death, her family deserves accountability. One year after her death, the United States must continue to press for accountability," he added.