CPJ urges US senators to seek accountability for Israel’s killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

CPJ joined civil society organizations in a letter to the U.S. Senate on September 23, urging senators to co-sponsor and vote “yes” on Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s Section 502B(c) privileged resolution requiring the U.S. State Department to report to Congress on escalating human rights violations in the West Bank, including the killings of U.S. citizens.

Since January 2022, nine Americans have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli security forces or settlers, including U.S.-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Not one has received meaningful accountability or justice from either the Israeli or U.S. governments.

Abu Akleh, a veteran journalist known to millions across the world, was shot while covering an Israel Defense Forces operation in the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11, 2022, despite wearing a clearly marked press vest. Although the FBI reportedly opened an investigation into her killing in November 2022, it has made no progress nearly four years later.

Congress has the authority and responsibility to demand answers when U.S. journalists are killed or injured abroad without accountability, according to the letter. The U.S. government must not “look away” when its own journalists are killed, and no recipient of U.S. security assistance must be exempt from congressional oversight or the human rights standards required by U.S. and international law.

Abu Akleh’s killing was not an isolated incident, but rather part of a decades-long deadly pattern involving attacks by Israel on journalists. Israeli forces have killed more journalists and media workers than any other since CPJ began collecting data in 1992. In addition, more press members have died in the combined Israel-Gaza and related regional conflicts than in any other war that CPJ has documented. Specifically, of 247 journalists and media workers killed by Israel since October 2023, 189 were Palestinians killed in Gaza.

The letter is available to read here.