Thousands gathered to mourn a slain Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, as the head of the Palestinian Authority blamed Israel for her death and rejected Israeli calls for a joint investigation.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American reporter who covered the Mideast conflict for more than 25 years, was shot dead Wednesday during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank town of Jenin. Journalists who were with her, including one who was shot and wounded, said Israeli forces fired upon them even though they were clearly identifiable as reporters.
Israel says it is investigating the incident. It initially suggested she might have been shot by Palestinian militants, without providing evidence, but has since backtracked. Israel is calling for a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank and cooperates with it on security.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas angrily rejected that proposal, saying "we hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for killing her."
"They cannot hide the truth with this crime," Abbas said in an address as her body lay in state with a Palestinian flag draped over it in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered.
"They are the ones who committed the crime, and because we do not trust them, we will immediately go to the International Criminal Court," Abbas said.
The ICC launched an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes over a year ago. Israel has rejected that probe as being biased against it.
Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior aide to Abbas, said that the Palestinians would conduct their own independent probe and convey the results "with high transparency." He rejected an Israeli request to conduct its own ballistic analysis on the bullet.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused the Palestinians of denying Israel "access to the basic findings required to get to the truth." He called on the Palestinian Authority to not take "any steps to disrupt the investigation or to contaminate the investigation process."
Abu Akleh was killed while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin, which has emerged as a militant bastion in recent weeks as Palestinians have carried out a series of deadly attacks and Israel has launched military raids across the occupied West Bank.
The Qatar-based Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately killing her and vowed to take legal action. Reporters who were with her said there were no Palestinian militants in the area.
Israeli officials initially suggested Abu Akleh was struck by militant fire and released a video showing gunmen firing at Israeli forces in a narrow alley inside the Jenin refugee camp. They later backtracked after an Israeli human rights group released its own video showing the site of the shooting was several hundred metres away from where Abu Akleh was killed.
Her death was met with an outpouring of grief across the Arab world. The 51-year-old was well-known as a veteran on-air correspondent for Al Jazeera's Arabic-language channel. Her reporting shed light on the harsh realities of Israeli military rule, which is well into its sixth decade with no end in sight. She was also a U.S. citizen.
Her body was to be brought to Jerusalem, where she was born, for burial on Friday.
The killing sparked international condemnation and widespread calls for accountability. UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres called for an "an independent and transparent investigation" to ensure those responsible are held to account.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday promised such an inquiry, saying he was in touch with U.S. and Palestinian officials and hoped for cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We are trying to figure out exactly what happened," he said. "I don't have final conclusions."
Asked about the investigation and Israel's offer for the Palestinians to participate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that U.S. officials "stand ready to assist either party in any way that we can."
"Neither side has asked for our assistance at this time and such a request would be required in order for us to do so," she said.
Abu Akleh's death could draw new scrutiny of Israel's military justice system, which is being examined as part of the ICC probe. It also threatened to further strain often rocky relations between the army and the international media.
Rights groups say Israel rarely follows through on investigations of deadly encounters with Palestinians, and that when it does, it often hands down lenient punishments.
Her death comes amid a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has been fuelled by tensions at a key Jerusalem holy site.
At least 18 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks in recent weeks, as well as more than 30 Palestinians, most of them involved in attacks or clashes with Israeli forces. Among the slain Palestinians were an unarmed woman and at least two apparent passersby, fuelling criticism that Israel often uses excessive force.
Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed.
The federal government's 'meaty' move to pause federal sales tax on a long list of items and send cheques to millions of Canadians this spring could factor into an improving outlook for growth in 2025, economists say.
NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
Hungry bears broke into a storage room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in this U.S. to feast on the military rations.
A Saskatchewan principal convicted to six months behind bars for sexual assault has another chance to prove he’s the victim of a middle-school prank that escalated out of control.
A group of high school students from Alliston, Ont., have garnered international attention after being invited to showcase their work on a global stage.
A popular series of Murphy beds that had been sold online is under a recall in Canada and the U.S. after several reported instances of the furniture detaching from walls.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla held in May last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (US$91 million), an amount some have labeled excessive.
A second Australian teenager who fell critically ill after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos has died in a hospital in Bangkok, her family said Friday, bringing the death toll in the mass poisoning of foreign tourists to six.
A Saskatchewan principal convicted to six months behind bars for sexual assault has another chance to prove he’s the victim of a middle-school prank that escalated out of control.
An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry.
Calgary police are seeking information in relation to a Tuesday fire in Hillhurst they believe was deliberately set and notes left in the area demanding Bitcoin.
The coach of a soccer team in the Vancouver Youth Soccer Association claims a complaint about racism directed at 13-year-old players on his team went unaddressed for more than a year.
Municipal officials are considering an end to water fluoridation on the island of Montreal in a move spurred by a petition from a resident who claims he has the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.
The owners of a Colorado funeral home are expected to plead guilty Friday to state charges accusing them of leaving 190 bodies to decay on their premises and giving the grieving relatives fake ashes.
The 27-year-old son of Norway’s crown princess has been accused of a second rape just days after he was arrested on suspicion of the same offence.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla held in May last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (US$91 million), an amount some have labeled excessive.
In his column for CTVNews.ca, Washington political analyst Eric Ham argues U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's controversial cabinet nominees are useful pawns meant to be sacrificed for a more bountiful reward down the line.
More aid workers, health care staffers, delivery personnel and other humanitarians have been killed in 2024 than in any other single year, the United Nations reported Friday.
Hungry bears broke into a storage room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in this U.S. to feast on the military rations.
A senior official says the Canadian government is not aware of any evidence linking Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to alleged criminal activity perpetrated by Indian agents on Canadian soil.
Canada's consul general in New York doubled-down Thursday on his past claim that he exerted no influence on the decision of Global Affairs Canada to buy a $9 million condo in Manhattan.
Ticket fraud and sky-high prices for Taylor Swift concerts have some politicians calling for changes to the way tickets are sold in Canada.
Drinking just 25 to 90 ml (0.7 to 3.0 ounces) of methanol can be fatal without proper medical treatment, but can be successfully treated if caught early.
A popular series of Murphy beds that had been sold online is under a recall in Canada and the U.S. after several reported instances of the furniture detaching from walls.
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
A group of high school students from Alliston, Ont., have garnered international attention after being invited to showcase their work on a global stage.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is inviting Canadians to choose the name of the first Canadian Lunar Rover.
Astronomers have captured the first close-up image of a star beyond our galaxy, taken during a dramatic moment near the end of the star’s life. In it, the 'behemoth' star appears to puff out gas and dust, a critical final step before exploding in a supernova.
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says 'Wicked' is a bold, brassy re-imagination of the beloved hit musical that brews up its own cinematic vibe.
Ticket fraud and sky-high prices for Taylor Swift concerts have some politicians calling for changes to the way tickets are sold in Canada.
Pamela Hayden, the longtime voice actor behind Milhouse Van Houten — Bart Simpson's very uncool friend — is stepping away after 35 years of whining.
The federal government's 'meaty' move to pause federal sales tax on a long list of items and send cheques to millions of Canadians this spring could factor into an improving outlook for growth in 2025, economists say.
Canada Post says it lost $315 million before tax in the third quarter compared with a loss before tax of $290 million a year earlier.
FunGuyz, which calls itself the biggest magic mushroom dispensary in Canada, says it's shutting down all 30 of its Ontario locations.
A coffee shop in Middleborough, Massachusetts, went viral overnight for offering free coffee to customers who entered the shop while dancing.
The world's tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman have met for afternoon tea in London to celebrate Guinness World Records Day.
Sandra Kroek and her grandson Remington spent 200 hours painting a massive Star Wars mural together.
Alex Ovechkin has a broken left fibula and is expected to be out four to six weeks, an injury that pauses the Washington Capitals superstar captain’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record.
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.
Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honour on Thursday.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
A Boeing 767 cargo jet that went off a runway at Vancouver International Airport has been safely removed.
For nearly a year, the Vancouver Police Department has failed to fulfill two freedom of information requests seeking records from Chief Adam Palmer and other high-ranking officials – a situation transparency advocates call highly concerning, and potentially illegal.
All 44 members of the B.C. Conservative caucus have been appointed to leadership positions – whether as shadow cabinet members or Opposition house leader.
Ticket fraud and sky-high prices for Taylor Swift concerts have some politicians calling for changes to the way tickets are sold in Canada.
The organizers of Toronto’s Original Santa Claus Parade are hopeful that the Jolly Old Elf will be coming to town for years to come.
For the second time ever, the Lotto Max jackpot has reached $75 million.
Calgary police are investigating after a body was found in the southwest community of Pine Creek.
The Calgary Fire Department responded to an explosion and fire at a six-plex in the city's southeast on Thursday afternoon.
A Calgary family is warning others and wants to see more accountability for pet owners after their dog was attacked and seriously injured in the northwest community of Royal Oak.
Santa Claus visits Kanata, Kingston and Arnprior, Christmas market season gets underway and the Vanier Cup is at Queen’s University. CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa and eastern Ontario this weekend.
The student union at the University of Ottawa says it will consider pulling its participation from the U-Pass, which provides discounted transit fares for students, if the city goes forward with hiking student transit fees and violating the program’s contract.
A former Ottawa police officer returned to the witness stand on Monday and provided further details of the moments before the violent and deadly arrest of Abdirahman Abdi on the fourth day of a coroner's inquest into the circumstances of his death.
Lachine Mayor and member of Projet Montreal Maja Vodanovic said the city will not reopen the debate on water fluoridation.
The CEO and co-founder of battery maker Northvolt, Peter Carlsson, is stepping down after being at the helm of the company since it was founded in 2016.
A 46-year-old man is recovering in the hospital after he was stabbed in the Milton Park neighbourhood of Montreal on Thursday night.
A bail hearing has heard that a woman accused in the drowning death of a five-year-old girl in an Alberta lake didn't know the child and was supposed to be under house arrest.
It certainly wasn’t the start Marc-Andre Fleury was expecting in what was otherwise a milestone night for the veteran Minnesota Wild goaltender.
The Alberta government is making changes to auto insurance, including rate hikes and switching to a predominantly no-fault claims model.
A series of weather warnings are in place in parts of Nova Scotia Friday morning ahead of a weekend storm.
Four pets have died in a house fire in Nova Scotia’s Kings County.
Sio Silica is planning to try again with a controversial mining project in the same spot using the same method that the province rejected less than a year ago, but this time with more community engagement.
The City of Winnipeg is projecting an operating shortfall in 2024, and the plan to cover it off would completely drain the city's rainy day fund.
Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
A Regina chiropractor accused of sexually assaulting seven different women took the stand Thursday as arguments began in his defense.
Evraz North America says an investigation is underway after a contractor was fatally injured while on the job in Regina on Nov. 19.
The Regina Pats have announced a blockbuster trade Thursday that sees captain Tanner Howe on his way to Calgary to play for the Hitmen as the team continues rebuilding for the future.
Charges were laid after a crash between an LRT train and a Dodge vehicle shut down a busy Kitchener street for more than eight hours on Thursday.
FunGuyz, which calls itself the biggest magic mushroom dispensary in Canada, says it's shutting down all 30 of its Ontario locations.
A fight between rival outlaw motorcycle gangs has led to multiple arrests, more than a dozen charges and the seizure of 17 firearms.
A Saskatchewan principal convicted to six months behind bars for sexual assault has another chance to prove he’s the victim of a middle-school prank that escalated out of control.
After being sworn in Wednesday night alongside a mix of new and returning city councillors, Cynthia Block becomes the first female mayor of Saskatoon.
A Saskatchewan tuxedo business says struggles with inflation and operating costs have caused it close stores across the province.
After years of delays, the province has pulled the plug on an addiction treatment centre in North Bay. A news release from Canadore College on Thursday confirmed the centre won’t be moving forward.
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration.
Emergency crews were called to the scene on Highway 10 around 9 a.m. for reports of a crash between a van and a delivery truck.
The first day of 2025 Budget deliberations at city hall saw a pair of high-priced programs supported by council – but only after finding ways to keep the cost off property tax bills.
Police say that on Thursday, November 21 between the hours of 1:30 a.m., and 4:30 a.m. the suspect came and went from a residence on Conway Drive.
Crews installed fencing along a busy stretch of road in the south end of Barrie to protect wildlife in preparation of a major construction project on the way.
Just weeks after endorsing a plan set to bring a new sports field to the downtown core, there's another major shakeup on the horizon.
The Crown played audio recordings in a Barrie courtroom Thursday afternoon that provided a glimpse into the lives of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney and the group of young women who lived and worked for them.
An Ontario law firm is seeking information about the movements and activities of a Catholic priest who was convicted of sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy before he died.
Windsor police are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect wanted in connection to an alleged serious assault that happened this past summer.
They’ve been based out of the basement of Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare for many years, rent free - however, that partnership is coming to an end.
Vancouver Island’s major crime unit is investigating the case of a Victoria teenager whose death was initially ruled an accidental overdose, but has since been reclassified by coroners as a homicide.
All 44 members of the B.C. Conservative caucus have been appointed to leadership positions – whether as shadow cabinet members or Opposition house leader.
One person is dead after a fire that destroyed a home in Nanaimo's south end Wednesday morning.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
The Hurricanes launched a three-game road trip south of the border Wednesday dropping a 4-0 game to the league-best Everett Silvertips.
A new citywide campaign is hoping to encourage residents to shop, eat and explore local this holiday season.
Agriculture is an industry mainly dominated by men, but around 80 middle school and high school students – all of whom are female – are hoping to change that.
Sault-based charity Save Our Young Adults, or SOYA, will soon move to a new home -- for good reason.
The City of Elliot Lake said Thursday it has received a $3-million donation from Edward and Suzanne Rogers for the Centennial Arena restoration.
Students in Sault College’s business accounting program have a new learning pathway that will ultimately give them a head start to a career.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
