°®Âþµº

Skip to main content

Bella Hadid offers help to Shireen Abu Akleh family

Bella Hadid offers help for family of slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during Qatar meeting
World
2 min read
Dutch-Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid offered her support and condolences to slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s family in Qatar.
Following Shireen Abu Akleh's death, Hadid shared dozens of post on her Instagram page mourning the "senseless murder" [Getty]

met the family of slain Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist  in Qatar on Sunday, offering help in their fight for justice.

The Dutch-Palestinian supermodel gave her condolences to the family of late Shireen, including her niece , who has tirelessly fought to hold Israel to account for killing last May.

"I am at your disposal, anything you need I am here for you, I am so so so sorry for your loss," Hadid told Akleh’s family.

She warmly hugged Shireen's brother Anton who was at the meeting, according to an exclusive video filmed by Doha News, while Lina pinned a badge of her late aunt to the supermodel's jacket.

Following the slain journalist's death, Hadid shared dozens of posts on her Instagram page - which boasts 56 million followers - mourning the "senseless murder" of Abu Akleh.

"I just have no words anymore... They will try to justify it. They will try to justify this senseless murder…Rest in peace to the incredible, brave martyr; Shireen Abu Akleh," Hadid wrote on her Instagram story.

MENA
Live Story

The supermodel landed in Qatar last week and has since attended Palestinian cultural events and immersed herself in the local arts.

She regularly speaks out to defend Palestinians living under Israeli oppression, often via Instagram.

Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli troops on 11 May while covering Israeli raids on Jenin for Al Jazeera.

After months of denial, Israel admitted one of its soldiers likely killed the journalist but claimed it was in error.

However, witnesses said the journalist - who was clearly wearing a PRESS vest at the time of the shooting - was targeted in the killing.

Abu Akleh's career spanned 25 years at the pan-Arab Al Jazeera network and was revered by Palestinians as a hero for her journalism. 

Her killing further strained already tense relations between the Israeli military and reporters covering the harsh realities of Israel's open-ended 55-year occupation of Palestinian land.