Israeli forces killed at least 12 Palestinians, including five minors, and injured more than 140 others during the latest assault on the Jenin refugee camp.
Al Jazeera has dismissed accusations by the Palestinian Authority over what it had described as “imbalanced” coverage of last week’s brutal Israeli raid at the Jenin refugee camp.
A letter signed by Palestine’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, had made the rounds on social media on Friday in which the official accused Al Jazeera of lacking “commitment to objectivity” and “professionalism of journalistic work”.
However, the circulating statement fell short of providing examples for its accusations.
“Accordingly, we hold you responsible, and with all regret, we inform you that we will have to take the necessary measures according to the law and order in the State of Palestine, in the event that your channel continues in its approach,” the statement added.
On Saturday, a letter signed by Acting Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network Mostefa Souag emerged online, in which the Qatari broadcaster dismissed the Palestinian Authority’s claims.
In the leaked letter, Al Jazeera welcomed all constructive criticism designed to preserve its “accuracy and professionalism”, noting that the broadcaster assessed the entirety of its coverage in order to review the accusations.
“The letter included a general accusation against Al Jazeera of not adhering to professional standards, an accusation that we find untrue after our review of the entire Al Jazeera coverage of the aforementioned events,” the network said.
The leaked statement added: “In this context, we would like to confirm Al Jazeera’s commitment to its editorial policy and professional standards of accuracy, objectivity and balance in all its news coverage, and that it will not change this editorial line as a result of any pressure or threat from any party.”
Jenin raid
On 3 July, Israeli forces stormed the Jenin refugee camp, launched one of the biggest raids on the West Bank area in at least two decades.
Harrowing footage showed dozens of Israeli armoured vehicles destroying the area, home to thousands of displaced Palestinians who were forced to flee their homes for safety.
The occupying forces killed at least 12 Palestinians, including five minors, and injured more than 140 others during the assault, per figures reported by Palestine’s news agency (Wafa).
Qatar-based Al Jazeera has provided round the clock coverage of events as they unfolded.
Footage shared on social media also showed the IOF deliberately targeting journalists on the ground who were covering the raid.
The scenes were reminiscent of the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead while reporting on a similar operation in Jenin on 11 May last year.
The latest attack has been widely labelled as the most significant assault on the Jenin refugee camp in over 20 years. The Palestinian presidency also described it as “a new war crime” against “defenceless people”.
Qatar joined the international community in condemning the Israeli raid and described it as “a new episode in the ongoing series of attacks and horrific crimes against the defenceless Palestinian people.”
“The State of Qatar condemns in the strongest terms the repetition of the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the city of Jenin and its camp, resulting in several deaths and injuries,” a foreign ministry statement read last week.
Since last year, Israel has intensified its violence on the West Bank and has launched almost daily attacks targeting Palestinian resistance groups.
In 2022 alone, the occupying forces killed more than 170 Palestinians, making it the deadliest year within the targeted areas since 2006. Separately, Israel killed 49 Palestinians, including 17 children, in Gaza during a three-day bombardment last year.
