Israel has killed more than 46 Palestinian journalists between 2000 and 2020.
Tel Aviv confirmed on Monday that the killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akure was “accidentally” struck by Israeli military fire, but ruled out a criminal investigation into the incident.
Israel publicly released its own independent investigation into the attack on Monday afternoon, in which it claimed an Israeli soldier had been under attack by Palestinian fighter jets at the time of her killing. This claim has been denied not only by eyewitnesses on the scene, but by countless investigations that have confirmed the absence of Palestinian fighters in the area.
A Palestinian-American journalist, 51, was shot dead by an Israeli sniper on May 11.
At the time, the late journalist covered the Israeli raid in Jenin while wearing a vest and helmet that clearly identified her as a journalist. The bullet targeted specific areas of the head not covered by the helmet.
The report said it “cannot definitively identify the source of the shooting that killed Ms. Abu Akure,” leaving “the possibility that she was hit by a bullet fired by an armed Palestinian shooter.” added. Citing the report, Jazeera said:
“After a comprehensive investigation of the incident, and based on all the findings, the military attorney general found that there was no suspicion of a crime under the circumstances of this incident justifying the initiation of a military police investigation. did,” the report said. Said.
A senior Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) official said he met the soldier in question during a background briefing for journalists ahead of the release of the Israeli findings, saying: “If he did that, he made a mistake. I did,” he boldly proclaimed.
They also continually reiterated that they were “very proud of the actions of our soldiers” and that the soldiers “became briefed and acted according to procedures.”
Qatar, along with governments around the world, condemned the killings by Israeli occupation forces as an attempt to silence journalists.
The murder shocked the world as Palestinian and Arab families around the world mourned the death of the journalist who was called the spokesman for Palestine.
Multiple detailed investigations by the United Nations, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and multiple media outlets such as CNN and the Associated Press (AP) confirmed that Abu Akure had indeed been hit by Israeli fire and that there were no Palestinian fighters at the scene. Turns out it wasn’t. the time she was killed.
In June, the United Nations discovered that the bullet had been fired from an Israeli sniper.
The latest developments come amid overwhelming testimonies and investigations alleging Abu Akure was killed by Israeli soldiers, corroborated by eyewitnesses, numerous investigations by Al Jazeera, the United Nations, human rights groups and other media outlets. It was held in.
The Zionist state was quick to distort the contemporary narrative of the incident, saying that Palestinian fighters were present at the scene of the murder.
However, Israel has since been forced to withdraw its statements following testimony from eyewitnesses and human rights groups and organizations.
In a statement responding to Israel’s latest statement on Monday, Abu Akure’s family described it as an attempt to obscure the truth.
“Today, the Israeli government and military are obscuring the truth and taking responsibility for the murder of our aunt, sister, best friend, journalist and Palestinian-American Shireen Abu Akure. Made a statement to try to avoid.
“We have known for over four months that Israeli soldiers shot Shireen dead… Israel has refused to take responsibility for Shireen’s murder. Our family is not surprised by this result, as it is clear to everyone that crimes cannot be investigated.
“But we remain deeply hurt, frustrated and disappointed.
lack of accountability
Since the tragic killing of an Al Jazeera journalist, rights groups, her family and her employer Al Jazeera have continued to demand accountability.
“The investigations all came to the same conclusion, which is that they confirmed eyewitness testimony that Shireen Abu Akley was murdered by the Israeli occupation forces. It reinforces the Al Jazeera Media Network and the Abu Akure family’s claims that they have been targeted,” Al Jazeera said.
The network’s international legal experts have been working to refer the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Abu Akleh’s family continues to call on Israel’s main ally, the United States, to conduct an independent investigation. The US provides up to $4 billion in direct funding to the Israeli regime.
In July, the family traveled to the United States after President Joe Biden avoided meeting with them during a visit to Tel Aviv and the West Bank.
Abu Akleh’s family met instead with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but in the case of the martyred journalist, the talks yielded no progress.
To date, the United States has failed to classify Israel as the perpetrator of the crime, despite investigations by US media such as the New York Times and Washington Post.
In July, the United States investigated the bullets, claiming they were likely fired “unintentionally” by Israelis. said he couldn’t.
An investigation found that the bullets came from “positions” belonging to Israeli soldiers, and the US downplayed the killings as “the result of tragic circumstances” during Israel’s raid “against Islamic Jihad factions in Palestine.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has told U.S. officials to follow up on Abu Akure’s meetings with the family “with substantial action to investigate her death and bring those responsible to justice.” asked to do.
Israel has long targeted media outlets reporting on the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
According to PJS, Israel has killed more than 46 Palestinian journalists between 2000 and 2020.
“Since Shireen was murdered, our family has demanded a thorough, independent and credible U.S. investigation leading to accountability. It’s the bare minimum. We continue to demand that the U.S. government fulfill its stated accountability,” the family statement added.
“Accountability requires action. We continue to urge many members of Congress, civil society organizations, journalists, and the general public to continue to pressure President Biden and Secretary Brinken to continue to take meaningful action. call.
“Israel cannot hold itself accountable and is therefore also demanding a full investigation and trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Israel’s murder of our dear Shireen cannot be wiped out – OUR FAMILY No other family should have to endure what Shireen had to do. We cannot and will not stop until justice is brought to Shireen,” the statement said.
