Palestine: second journalist killed by Israeli snipers while covering protests
Brussels, 20 April 2018 – Photojournalist Ahmad Abu Hussein, who was shot on 13 April by Israeli snipers while covering mass protests in Gaza, succumbed yesterday to his wounds.
Hussein, 24, who was covering the clashes for the Sawt Al Shaab Radio, is the second journalist killed by Israeli forces in one month while covering the “March of Return” protests, following the killing of fellow journalist Yasser Murtaja earlier this month.
Hussein was shot in the stomach while covering the rally near Jabalia in northern Gaza, the Health Ministry in Gaza told media.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), in mourning the death of the photojournalist.
“The PJS stresses that the occupation authorities and their leader bear full responsibility for these ongoing crimes and reiterates its emphasis on intensifying its efforts to go after the occupation leaders for their crimes against journalists, especially the deliberate and documented killings of journalists Ahmad Abu Hussein and Yassir Murtaja, and it vows not to rest until the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said the union in a statement.
“It is clear that after Israeli soldiers murdered a journalist the authorities are more interested in spouting propaganda and engaging in a cover-up than in carrying out a thorough and transparent investigation and bringing Hussein and Yasser’s killers to justice,” said IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger.
The PJS invited all journalists and everyone in Gaza to attend Hussein´s funeral today in Jabalia camp where he lived . The union also invited everyone to participate in a symbolic funeral that will be held in Ramallah at the same time and it will also be receiving condolences messages on Sunday at its headquarters in Albira.