Medical officials confirmed the death of Shaza al-Sabbagh, a journalism student at Al-Quds Open University, on Saturday evening. Sabbagh was fatally shot in the head during escalating violence in the Jenin “refugee camp.”
Arab social networks compared the actions of the PA to the IDF: “The Zionist occupation army murdered journalist Shireen Abu Aqla in Jenin in 2022, and Abbas’ criminal and treacherous authority murdered journalist Shaza al-Sabbagh in cold blood in the Jenin camp. The traitorous non-Palestinian Authority occupation army of Mahmoud Abbas constitutes a second occupation and must be fought against until it is overthrown.”
Al-Sabbagh’s family also accused a PA sniper of killing the young journalist.
The young journalist Shaza al-Sabbagh has been killed by a bullet to the head in Jenin refugee camp, occupied West Bank. The deliberate targeting of journalists to silence the alternative voice continues pic.twitter.com/Mxxek3r04n
— Voice of Freedom 2.0 ?? ?? (@capemalay3) December 29, 2024
Despite the general understanding on the part of PA Arabs that the killing was carried out by a member of Ramallah’s security forces, the same forces late Saturday strongly condemned the killing, describing it as a “heinous crime.”
According to the PA security’s statement, the incident occurred on Mahyoub Street, where attackers also set fire to a home and fired indiscriminately in the area.
Needless to say, WAFA, the official PA news agency, which covered for weeks the death of Shireen Abu Aqla, failed to even mention the death of al-Sabbagh, never mind the strong possibility that she was killed by a government sniper.
The security forces stressed that initial investigations and eyewitness accounts indicated their personnel were not present at the scene during the attack. They reiterated their commitment to upholding the rule of law and vowed to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. Authorities also urged the public to share any information that could aid in identifying those responsible.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate mourned Sabbagh’s death, calling for an independent investigation into the incident. The syndicate proposed including one of its representatives in the investigative committee to ensure transparency and accountability.
For over three weeks, Jenin and its refugee camp have been the focus of an intensified security campaign led by Palestinian Authority forces, targeting individuals labeled as “outlaws.” The campaign has heightened tensions in an area already fraught with volatility, raising concerns about further escalation. Last week, two PA police officers and three Jenin Battalion terrorists were killed. The battalion consists mainly of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters.
