PARIS, July 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – France-based Reporters Sans Frontier (RSF- Reporters without Boundaries) and U.S. based Committee to Protect Journalists have both severely criticized the Israeli army for killing a Palestinian freelance photographer.

Abu Zahra, 35, was shot in the leg in Jenin Thursday, July 11 and later died after losing blood for more than an hour because Israeli troops refused to allow an ambulance to get to him.

"It is intolerable that two journalists have been killed in the past five months by the Israeli army, even more so when Israeli soldiers refused to allow an ambulance to get to the latest victim," said RSF secretary-general Robert Ménard.

"More than 40 journalists have been wounded in shooting by the Israeli army since September 2000 and since Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister in February last year, 17 journalists have been wounded, 70 have come under fire and 15 foreign or Palestinian media offices have been occupied by the Israeli army. Since the start of Operation Rampart on March 29 this year, at least 30 journalists have been arrested and six of them – all Palestinians – are still being detained.

"The Israeli army is acting with complete impunity. This is also intolerable. How many more must die before the army stops attacking the media?,” said Ménard in a statement published by RSF on their website.

Ménard added that RSF has decided to add Sharon to its worldwide list of predators of press freedom.

A day before he died, Abou Zahra, went out around midday after the curfew had been lifted. He was in the center of Jenin with Said el-Dahla, a photographer of the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, when Israeli tanks fired on them without warning, wounding both in the leg.

Witnesses said there had been no clash going on when the pair were hit. An Israeli army spokesman said "the mob threw stones and firebombs at the vehicles", said RSF.

Noting that he was the second journalist to be killed while covering conflict in the West Bank, CPJ executive director, Ann Cooper said: "We mourn the loss of our colleague Abu Zahra."

CPJ, spoke to Dahla who told them that they were both wearing clothing identifying them as press.

After being shot, Dahla said that as they tried to take shelter in a nearby building, the tanks continued to fire upon them. Dahla told CPJ that the two journalists remained in the building entrance, unable to get to a hospital. He estimates that more than 25 minutes passed before Zahra was helped into a taxi and taken to Jenin Hospital, where he died.

"There is obviously considerable confusion surrounding the circumstances of Zahra's death," said CPJ's Cooper. "We urge Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident immediately."

The Palestine Chronicle spoke to Ali Samudi, a Palestinian journalist based in Jenin, who gave them an eyewitness account of what happened at the shooting.

Samudi was the first to arrive to a Jenin barbershop where two wounded Palestinian journalists were left to bleed after they were shot by the Israeli army.

“Yesterday (Thursday, July 11) the Israeli army announced (by loudspeaker) that the curfew imposed on the city of Jenin is lifted. However as people rushed to buy food to stock up for the expected return of the curfew, the Israeli army advanced to the center of the city and began shooting.

“Some people managed to run away; others were trapped since the Israeli tanks and soldiers took them by surprise, so they hid in some shops in the market area.

“Imad Abu Zahra and Said Dahla, both freelance Palestinian journalists were filming the Israeli tanks at the scene. I spoke with Dahla as I tried to get them to the hospital later on, and he told me that they were filming from a close distance while wearing jackets that were clearly marked with the word “Press”. He said that the army opened fire directly at them using 800 mm round (from a tank-mounted gun).

“Both journalists were wounded. Imad was hit in the right leg, in a major artery, causing sever bleeding. Said was hit in the foot. But when the ambulances tried to reach them, the Israeli army blocked their path, since the entire area was sealed. Imad and Said hid in a shop and waited for help.

“I was present around the same area. I rushed toward the place where both of them were at, and saw blood. I was accompanied by a few internationals. If the internationals were not there, the Israelis would have likely blocked my way too. I heard them both screaming, asking for help.

“When I finally made it and found Imad, full of blood. I shouted: “Wounded! Wounded!” The internationals came running and we put them in a civilian car since the Israelis were still blocking the ambulances.

“At that point Imad bled too much and fainted. The doctors at the hospital performed emergency surgery to try to save his life. But it was too late. Today, he died.”