Exactly three years after the bullet of an Israeli sniper ended the life of Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian-American journalist reporting for Al Jazeera during a raid in the city of Jenin, occupied West Bank, a documentary finally answers the question that shook the world: “Who Killed Shireen?” Released in May 2025, this production breaks through years of denial and misinformation.

“Israel is a small country where people like to talk. We were able to leverage our contacts in the military to reach the right individuals,” explained Dion Nissenbaum, one of the journalists leading the investigation, in an interview with TRT Español.

The investigation, co-directed by New York Times journalist Fatima Abdulkarim and multimedia producer Conor Powell, identified Alon Scagio, who was 20 years old at the time, as the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot that killed Abu Akleh.

The documentary, sponsored by the independent outlet Zeteo, also reveals that Scagio was killed last year in the same occupied West Bank city.

“We spoke with active Israeli soldiers who knew Alon Scagio, and they confirmed that he was the one who fired the fatal shots,” said Dion. “We arranged interviews with these soldiers outside the framework of the Israeli military, which would normally not allow such discussions for a documentary of this nature.”

The Israeli Army declined to participate in the documentary when asked about Scagio, but according to Dion, “no Israeli official ever attempted to obstruct our coverage.”

Changed versions

The 40-minute documentary recounts how Israeli authorities initially suggested that armed Palestinians were responsible for the journalist’s tragic death. However, a series of investigations concluded that she was shot by a member of the Israeli occupation forces.

Four months after Shireen’s killing, the Israeli military changed its narrative, admitting there was a “high possibility” that she had been “accidentally” struck by an Israeli soldier, whose identity they refused to disclose.

The documentary also highlights how Tel Aviv authorities have systematically blocked investigations into Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing, despite her being a U.S. citizen.

“That constant obstruction has deepened our pain. It’s not just about losing Shireen, but also the anguish of seeing justice continually denied. The uncertainty, delays, and refusal to take responsibility have prevented us from truly beginning to heal, let alone move past the pain and tragedy,” said Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen’s niece, in an interview with TRT Español.

For Fatima Abdulkarim—a friend of Shireen and a journalist who covered her killing and funeral—and for Dion Nissenbaum, the lack of accountability was their main motivation for creating the documentary.

“I was always concerned about the amount of misinformation Israel spread about Shireen’s killing and how, even today, many people still don’t fully understand how she was killed,” Dion noted.

‘Without justice, the cycle continues’

The revelations of “Who Killed Shireen?” come amid alarming statistics showing that, since Israel’s offensive on Gaza began in October 2023, at least 208 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Tel Aviv.

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) now identifies Israel as responsible for over two-thirds of the 124 journalists killed last year.

“The Israeli military has openly spread the message that ‘wearing a blue vest doesn’t turn a terrorist into a journalist,’ which, in practice, signals that wearing a blue bulletproof vest labeled PRESS no longer offers any protection from their troops,” Dion explained.

One of the most disturbing revelations in the documentary is the accusation that Israeli soldiers used Abu Akleh’s image as a target during shooting practice. “That revelation was devastating,” confessed Lina Abu Akleh. “It speaks volumes about the culture within the military and exposes the intentionality behind Shireen’s killing.”

Testimony of injured journalist

The documentary also gives voice to veteran Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi, who was shot alongside Shireen when she was killed in 2022 and was recently arrested in Jenin. “Ali told us he believed the bullet that killed Shireen was meant to silence Palestinian journalists,” Nissenbaum recounted. “Just a week before the film’s release, the Israeli military detained him,” he added.

According to the investigative journalist, the Israeli military has publicly acknowledged that it lacks sufficient evidence to accuse Ali of any crime. “Instead of releasing him, Israel keeps him detained indefinitely, without charges, under its administrative detention laws,” she added.

For the Abu Akleh family, watching the documentary and seeing these patterns repeat has only strengthened their urgency to seek justice.

“The hardest part was reliving the trauma of Shireen’s killing,” said Lina, her niece. “As painful as it was to remember such a brutal loss, it was also a stark reminder that impunity only fuels more violence. Without justice, the cycle continues, and more journalists are attacked and killed.”

‘Justice delayed is justice denied’

For Lina and her family, the documentary represents another step in their relentless fight for justice, a battle that has lasted three years. “The fight for accountability has been long, painful, and often frustrating,” Lina Abu Akleh stated.

She also expressed disappointment with the U.S. government’s response to her aunt’s killing by foreign military forces. While acknowledging that the investigation is ongoing, she emphasised that the prolonged delay has been deeply painful.

“Delayed justice is denied justice, and the longer it takes, the more it reinforces the sense of impunity,” she affirmed.

According to the Abu Akleh family, accountability should not be limited to the soldier who pulled the trigger but must extend to the entire chain of command: “Those who gave the orders, those who covered it up, and those who continue to deny any responsibility.”

For the Abu Akleh family, true justice means complete transparency about the circumstances of Shireen’s killing, as well as implementing effective measures to prevent similar crimes against other Palestinian journalists.

The legacy of Shireen Abu Akleh

After Shireen’s loss, the family established the Shireen Abu Akleh Foundation to support journalists and keep alive the legacy of truth-telling that she championed. Additionally, both Lina and her sister Lareen have followed in their aunt’s footsteps in the world of journalism.

“My sister Lareen and I have always been inspired by Shireen—not just by her work as a journalist but also by her professionalism, integrity, and, above all, her empathy,” Lina explained. “It was thanks to Shireen that we both decided to pursue careers in journalism and media.”

For the sisters, journalism has become a form of resistance against narratives that seek to silence Palestinian voices.

“We see journalism as a powerful tool to reclaim the history others have tried to erase or distort,” said Lina. “Now more than ever, we feel the responsibility to continue Shireen’s legacy, amplifying the voices of our people and shedding light on the truth to which she dedicated her life.”

Despite enormous obstacles, the Abu Akleh family has remained steadfast in their fight for justice, taking their case from the halls of the U.S. Congress to the chambers of the International Criminal Court.

“The unwavering support my family and I have received over these three years has been overwhelming and deeply moving,” Lina stated. “It reminds us every day that we are not alone on this journey; that Shireen’s voice, her truth, and her legacy remain alive thanks to the people who stand with us and demand justice in her name.”

This article was first published in TRT Español