Israeli security forces fired the fatal shot that killed veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last month, a United Nations panel determined on Friday.
Aspokesperson for the UN’s human rights office saidthat based on information gathered from the Israeli military and Palestinian attorney-general, “the shots that killed Abu Akleh and injured her colleague Ali Sammoudi came from Israeli Security Forces and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians, as initially claimed by Israeli authorities.”
“We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists,” the spokesperson continued in a statement.
Al Jazeera journalist Abu Akleh was fatally shot on May 11 while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp. She was marked as a reporter with a bulletproof helmet and vest that said “PRESS,”according to Al Jazeera’s statementon her death.
Her death sparked condemnation among various human rights organizations and US lawmakers. During the funeral procession a few days later, Israeli police were caught on video beating mourners nearly causing Abu Akleh’s casket to fall to the ground.
The Palestinian Authority and Al Jazeera initially pinned Abu Akleh’s death on Israel, while the Israeli Defense Forces suggested she was killed by Palestinian gunmen before walking back on that claim.
The UN said it interviewed witnesses, reviewed official communications, visited the scene of the incident, consulted with experts, and used photo, video, and audio evidence to make its determination.
“Several single, seemingly well-aimed bullets were fired towards them from the direction of the Israeli Security Forces,” the UN said about the gunfire.
Friday’s UN decision is the latest to conclude that Israeli forces killed Abu Akleh news outlets like the New York Times and CNNhave done the same. The US State Department previously called for an immediate and thorough investigation.
Nearly half of US senators sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday urging the administration to be directly involved in an investigation.
The UN said on Friday it’s “deeply disturbing” that Israel has not yet conducted a criminal investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing and urged authorities to do so.
Discussion about this post