Laith Habash
Tony Abu Akleh, the brother of the late journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, commented in an exclusive statement to milhilard.org on the screening of the documentary “Who Killed Shireen?”, which premiered in New York City. He said that the screening was painful for his family, but at the same time, it “revealed new and important investigations and facts about the circumstances of Shireen’s assassination.”

Abu Akleh explained that the documentary highlighted the “failure of the previous US administration,” which he said practiced deception and prevented justice by “changing facts in reports and obscuring the facts.” He added, “This was a great betrayal not only for our family, but for everyone who believed in the justice of this case, especially since Shireen held American citizenship.”

Tony Abu Akleh: Some pulled the trigger, but there were also those who issued the orders and those who incited.

Although Israeli soldier Alon Scagio, whom the film refers to as the direct killer, was later killed during a Palestinian resistance operation in Jenin, Abu Akleh emphasized that the family “continues to demand comprehensive accountability,” saying, “There were those who pulled the trigger, but there were also those who issued the orders and those who incited. The Israeli army has a hierarchy of responsibility that must be fully held accountable.”

He confirmed that his family, despite its limited resources, continues to pursue the case legally and through the media, calling for the accountability of everyone involved in the assassination, including the unit commander and the officers who accompanied the killer soldier.

Abu Akleh pointed out that the lack of accountability contributed to the recurrence of crimes against journalists and civilians, saying, “If those responsible for Shireen’s assassination had been held accountable sooner, the occupation might have felt there was a price to pay, and perhaps that would have saved the lives of dozens of journalists, children, and aid workers who were recently killed in Gaza.” He concluded by saying, “Shireen’s assassination was not only an attempt to silence her voice, but an attempt to silence the voice of truth and the voice of Palestine as a whole. This is the issue of every Palestinian, and it is a collective responsibility before the world.”