by Phil Callaghan

The recent killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American journalist, brought the ongoing injustice in Palestine back to the momentary attention of the world media. A Christian, Shireen was shot dead while reporting on an Israeli military operation in the town of Jenin. As a reporter for many outlets over her career she was a towering figure in Palestine, known for her humanity, integrity, empathy and truthfulness. The nature of her death sent shockwaves throughout Palestine, and the disturbing scenes of her funeral, which saw violent clashes between mourners and armed Israeli soldiers, were symbolic of the oppression that many Palestinians face in their day to day lives.

Phil Callaghan is Deputy Director of Programmes, Xaverian Missionaries UK Province.