UN says Al-Jazeera journalist killed by Israeli fire

W460

The United Nations said Friday that its findings showed that the shot that killed Al-Jazeera TV journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 was fired by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian-American journalist, who was wearing a vest marked "Press" and a helmet, was killed on May 11 while covering an Israeli army operation in Jenin camp in the northern West Bank. 

"We find that the shots that killed Abu Akleh came from Israeli security forces," UN Human Rights Office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

"It is deeply disturbing that Israeli authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation.

"We at the UN Human Rights Office have concluded our independent monitoring into the incident.

"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" she said. 

She added that the information came from the Israeli military and the Palestinian attorney general. 

"We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists," Shamdasani said. 

In line with its human rights monitoring methodology, the UN rights office inspected photo, video and audio material, visited the scene, consulted experts, reviewed official communications and interviewed witnesses.

The findings showed that seven journalists arrived at the western entrance of the Jenin refugee camp soon after 6:00 am.

At around 6:30 am, as four of the journalists turned into a particular street, "several single, seemingly well-aimed bullets were fired towards them from the direction of the Israeli security forces.

"One single bullet injured Ali Sammoudi in the shoulder; another single bullet hit Abu Akleh in the head and killed her instantly."

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has urged Israel to open a criminal investigation into Abu Akleh's killing and into all other killings by Israeli forces in the West Bank and in the context of law enforcement operations in Gaza.

Comments 4
Thumb ansarullah 24 June 2022, 15:38

God bless our Shia resistance for pledging to avenge the death of TV journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on its way to liberate Jerusalem from the Zionist enemy and its allies in the region. All preparations are almost ready and the final signal to march onto Jerusalem will be given by Sayyed Hassan at a time to be announced on Al Manar TV.

Our Shia resistance will not forget and will not forgive those who commit violence against humanity, specially women.

Shia Shea Shia !!!

Missing phillipo 24 June 2022, 20:51

Our Shia resistance will not forget and will not forgive those who commit violence against humanity, specially women.

Do I need to supply you with a full list of Israeli women and children who have been murdered by Hizballah terrorists? Or are they in your eyes, not "humanity"?

Thumb i.report 24 June 2022, 16:24

Shame on the neo-Zionist occupation forces for not conducting a proper investigation and publishing it. They know they fired, they’re just converting up another war crime. Israel, as they always say the “only democracy in the Middle East “ yeah right.

Israel and Hezbollah are made of the same sick twisted ideologies cut from the same cloth.

Missing phillipo 24 June 2022, 20:49

How could the Israeli forces conduct a proper investigation as from the first moment the PA refused to allow Israeli or other organisations access to the bullet which Abu Mazen claimed was pulled from her body or to an international autopsy..