Killing of Muhammad al-Durrah: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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[[Image:AlDurrah1.jpg|thumb|300px|Muhammad al-Durrah and his father Jamal before the shooting on [[September 30]] [[2000]]. The scene, now iconic, was recorded by Talal Abu Rahma for ''[[France 2]]''.]]

'''Muhammad Jamal al-Durrah''' (1988-2000) {{lang-ar|محمد جمال الدرة}}), was a [[Palestinian people|Palestinian]] boy who became an icon of the [[Second Intifada]] when he was killed in an exchange of gunfire on the [[Gaza Strip]] on [[September 30]] [[2000]] during a violent clash between [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) troops and [[Palestinian Security Forces|Palestinian police]] and gunmen. The incident was filmed by a local Palestinian cameraman working for the French television station [[France 2]].<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/1026340.stm "When Peace Died"], BBC News, November 17, 2000</ref> FollowingThe theshooting reporthappened thatduring Israelisan shotoutbreak of widespread violence on the boy[[West Bank]] and Gaza Strip.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/951046.stm Fierce clashes in Gaza and West Bank]", BBC News, October 2, 2000</ref> Following reports of the eventsdeaths of Septembera 2000number wereof stronglyPalestinian criticisedcivilians byin September and October 2000, a majority of countries[[UN Security Council]] whomembers strongly criticised what they described as Israel's excessive use of force.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/955223.stm "Feelings run high at the UN"], BBC News, October 4, 2000</ref> and images from the footage of the al-Durrah shooting became an iconic symbol of the Palestinian cause in much of the Arab world.<ref>"Framing the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict", Tamar Liebes & Anat First, in ''Framing Terrorism: The News Media, the Government and the Public'', eds. Pippa Norris, Montague Kern, Marion R. Just. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0415947189</ref>

France 2's report on the incident blamed Israeli forces for the shooting. The Israeli army initially stated that the fatal shots had apparently been fired by its soldiers and issued a public apology.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/954703.stm "Israel 'sorry' for killing boy"], BBC News, October 1, 2000</ref>. A later army investigation stated that it was plausible that al-Durrah had instead been hit by Palestinian bullets.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/28/world/28MIDE.html?ex=1212292800&en=8b0627a9965c4c3f&ei=5070 "Israeli Army Says Palestinians May Have Shot Gaza Boy". ''New York Times'', November 28, 2000]</ref> The incident has also become the subject of various [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] asserting that the shooting had been staged.<ref>"Truth is sometimes caught in crossfire", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', October 6, 2007</ref> In 2004 France 2 sued a French commentator who accused the channel and its reporter [[Charles Enderlin]] of having faked the footage. An initial court ruling found the claims to be defamatory but this was overturned at appeal in 2008. France 2 has stated that it will appeal the case to the [[Cour de cassation (France)|Cour de cassation]], France's highest court.<ref name="liberation210508">"[http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/ecrans/327461.FR.php Reportage sur la mort d'un enfant palestinien: Charles Enderlin débouté en appel]", ''Libération'', 21 May 2008.</ref>.