New documentary names Israeli soldier in Shireen Abu Akleh killing

Zeteo film identifies elite IDF member as suspect in Al Jazeera reporter's 2022 death in Jenin.

The more than 700-kilometer-long wall separating Israel from Palestine is seen from the city of Bethlehem, featuring a mural of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli soldiers on May 11, 2022, while covering an Israeli army operation in a refugee camp in Jenin. Photo by Alessandro Levati/Getty Images

By Novanka Laras and Hayu Andini

A new investigative documentary has identified the Israeli soldier allegedly responsible for the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, more than two years after her death during an Israeli military raid in Jenin. The Zeteo production, titled Who Killed Shireen?, claims that Alon Scaggio, a soldier from Israel's elite Duvdevan unit, fired the fatal shot that killed the veteran Al Jazeera correspondent on May 11, 2022.

Shireen Abu Akleh killing, is central to renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding her death — a case that has sparked international condemnation, mounting calls for accountability, and now, new revelations from U.S. and Israeli sources.

Shireen Abu Akleh's death and the original narrative

Abu Akleh was reporting in Jenin, located in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, when she was struck by a bullet to the head despite wearing a helmet and a clearly marked press vest. She was covering an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) raid, during which gunfire erupted between soldiers and local Palestinians.

Initial claims from the Israeli government, then under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, suggested that the shots might have come from Palestinian militants. However, eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and multiple journalistic investigations quickly contradicted this, pointing instead to Israeli forces as the likely source of the gunfire.

Months later, the IDF released an internal report stating there was a “high probability” that Abu Akleh had been unintentionally shot by an Israeli soldier, though the military stopped short of a definitive admission or providing the shooter’s identity.

Documentary breaks silence on suspect's identity

The new Zeteo documentary changes that. Drawing from internal testimony, military records, and interviews with U.S. officials, the film identifies 20-year-old Alon Scaggio, who had recently completed training for the Duvdevan special forces unit at the time of the incident, as the soldier who pulled the trigger.

"Israel did everything it could to conceal the soldier’s identity," said journalist Dion Nissenbaum, who led the investigation. “They wouldn’t provide the U.S. with his name, statement, or allow an interview.” Nissenbaum worked alongside former New York Times contributor Fatima AbdulKarim and producer Conor Powell to build a case using confidential sources and field testimonies from two Israeli soldiers present during the raid.

Allegations of intentional killing

The film makes the bold assertion that the killing was not accidental. “He shot her intentionally,” said Nissenbaum in an interview. “The only question is whether he knew she was Shireen Abu Akleh or if he understood she was a journalist.”

While the documentary does not present conclusive proof that Scaggio identified the target as Abu Akleh specifically, it argues that any soldier would have been aware they were aiming at a clearly marked member of the press.

A senior official from then-President Joe Biden’s administration, speaking anonymously in the film, said the evidence supports the conclusion of an “intentional killing,” even if the soldier may not have known Abu Akleh’s identity. “They would have absolutely known that it was a media person or a non-combatant at a minimum,” the official said.

Lack of U.S. pressure and broader implications

Despite Abu Akleh’s status as an American citizen, the documentary contends that Washington showed little urgency in pursuing justice for her killing. According to Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, efforts to pressure the Biden administration to declassify documents related to the incident were ignored.

The perceived U.S. reluctance to confront Israel over Abu Akleh’s death has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the naming of a suspect a major development, highlighting that it was the first time an Israeli soldier had been publicly identified in connection with the killing of a journalist, based on records going back to 1992.

“Impunity in this case has effectively given Israel permission to silence hundreds more,” said CPJ in a statement. Reporters Without Borders also weighed in, citing that nearly 200 journalists have died in Israeli strikes on Gaza since the beginning of 2023, including many in non-combatant zones.

Israeli army responds to identity leak

The Israeli military has strongly objected to the disclosure of the suspect’s name, stating that there has been “no definitive determination” of who was responsible for Abu Akleh’s death. In a brief response, an IDF spokesperson emphasized that revealing the identity of the soldier is both unauthorized and potentially damaging, especially as Scaggio is no longer alive.

According to the documentary, Scaggio died during a military operation in Jenin on June 27, 2024 — nearly two years after the incident involving Abu Akleh. Nissenbaum initially believed the soldier had died in Gaza but later confirmed his death occurred in the same city where Abu Akleh was killed.

International outcry and calls for accountability

The case of Shireen Abu Akleh has long resonated as a symbol of press repression and the dangers faced by journalists operating in conflict zones. Her death sparked protests across the Palestinian territories and in cities around the world, including Washington, where Arab-American communities demanded action.

Human rights organizations and the United Nations have consistently called for an independent investigation. However, no international body has been granted access to conduct a probe that includes both Israeli and Palestinian cooperation.

With the release of Who Killed Shireen?, pressure is once again mounting on governments and institutions to demand accountability.

The growing legacy of Shireen Abu Akleh

Abu Akleh spent over two decades reporting for Al Jazeera, becoming a household name in the Arab world for her courageous and persistent reporting on the Israeli occupation and life in the Palestinian territories. Her calm, authoritative voice and unflinching documentation of injustice made her an iconic figure for aspiring Arab journalists.

Her killing has left a lasting void, and the documentary’s revelations have reignited public grief and anger over the lack of justice.

The ongoing debate surrounding the Shireen Abu Akleh killing underscores not only the risks journalists face but also the enduring challenge of achieving accountability in conflict zones where state power often shields those responsible.

As the international community continues to demand transparency and justice, Zeteo’s film offers perhaps the most detailed look yet into a case that has become emblematic of the broader struggle for press freedom in the region.