Palestinian human rights lawyer Diana Buttu has called Al Jazeera’s veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing “a blow to the world.”
Her killing is a “blow to the world internationally, it’s a blow to us nationally, and it’s a blow to me personally,” she said.
“She went into the hearts of every single Palestinian, and I dare say every Arab household because of her touching reporting in the way that she had of bringing to life the reality of Israel’s brutal occupation,” Diana Buttu added.
“Shireen is not the first journalist to be killed by Israel, and I fear that she’s not going to be the last either. It’s now time for accountability and we must demand that Israel be held accountable because it is Israel who is responsible,” she said.
On Friday, Shireen Abu Akleh has been laid to rest in a cemetery in occupied East Jerusalem, three days after she was fatally shot by Israeli forces while reporting on a raid in the occupied West Bank.
Thousands of people gathered for Abu Akleh’s funeral.
In a shocking incident, Israeli forces attacked mourners who attempted to walk with Abu Akleh’s coffin in occupied East Jerusalem.
Videos showed Israeli forces beating mourners, including those carrying Abu Akleh’s body, almost causing them to drop the coffin.
Abu Akleh was a mainstay for 15 years in Al Jazeera’s coverage of the occupied Palestinian territories and the lives of everyday Palestinians.
