PKS Legislator Suspects Al Jazeera Journalist Shooting Intentionally

JAKARTA - The shooting of a senior Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, by the Israeli army while covering clashes between Zionist state troops and Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jenin has drawn criticism.

A member of Commission I of the DPR, Sukamta, suspects that there was an element of intent in the shooting of Shireen Abu Akleh. One of them is to cover up the facts of crimes committed by Israel in the Palestinian West Bank.

The reason, the same thing also happened to a foreign journalist from the Associated Press (AP) in the Gaza Strip. The News Agency building was bombed indiscriminately by Israel.

"I think there was an intentional killing of journalists as an attempt to cover up the facts of the crimes committed by the Zionist occupation army in the West Bank," Sukamta told reporters on Thursday, May 12.

The PKS Legislator for the Yogyakarta Dapil stated that the shooting was a very heinous crime and clearly violated international humanitarian law.

"Even though every press member who is on duty and moreover has used the identity of the press, should not be the target of violence by any party," said Sukamta.

Therefore, the deputy chairman of the PKS faction in the DPR asked the Indonesian government to encourage a thorough and transparent investigation into the murder of an Al Jazeera journalist. Mainly by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government by involving the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"It is important to investigate this murder case, and the perpetrator must be given the appropriate punishment. This is important to do so that there is a sense of security for the press personnel on duty in the field," said Sukamta.

He considered that the United Nations should also give a strong warning to the Israeli government to stop its brutal actions against journalists and civil society.

According to Sukamta, violence in Palestine will continue as long as Israel is still occupying Palestinian territories.

"The root of the problem is colonialism is still ongoing. So we really hope that the Indonesian government will continue to strive through international diplomacy to push back the Two-State Solution scheme and the presence of Palestinian independence," concluded Sukamta.